As for Donovan Mitchell’s stats after the Cavs’ loss to the Thunder

The Cleveland Cavaliers they made waves last week when they beat the oklahoma city thunder in an instant game classic. During that contest, the Cavs were able to overcome a rough shooting night from the star guard Donovan Mitchellwho scored just 11 points on 3-16 shooting from the field during that contest. But they had no luck in the second leg for more than a week, like The Cavs were on the receiving end of a shot from the Thunder on Thursday night, 134-114.

It is always difficult for any team to win a match when their best player is struggling. It’s a testament to the Cavs’ depth and all-around excellence that they were able to weather the brick-and-mortar storm in Mitchell last week. But in the rematch against Thunder, who was on the road, they twice failed to catch lightning in a bottle. Mitchell had another bad outingas he scored just eight points on 3-15 shooting from the field in a game that wasn’t as close as the final margin of defeat would indicate.

Mitchell has seen his production decline this seasonbut the Cavs still rely on him to get them across the finish line even with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley taking on bigger roles. However, the Thunder’s defense is exemplary — the best in the league for a reason — and it’s no surprise they’re stifling someone as good as Mitchell.

Oklahoma City can throw multiple bodies at the Cavs star to shut him down, ranging from Lugentz Dort to Jalen Williams to Alex Caruso, and they’ve also had Cason Wallace and Kenrich Williams to put him at times. Mitchell, however, will have to figure out how to help the team in games of such magnitude that the Cavs live up to their championship potential.

The Cavs get a big reality check from the Thunder

As great as the Cavs have been this season, there is still a long way to go until the 2024-25 season. Their loss to the Thunder should serve as a reality check that if they don’t bring it every night, they will be on the receiving end of such humiliating losses.

The Cavs have now become “hunted”, meaning they will be getting the most out of their opposition every night. That means Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley can’t battle like they did Thursday night.