In the NBA, where few phrases test a superstar’s legitimacy and evoke as much emotion as the term “Game Seven” does, having a player capable of maximizing fearlessness, feel for the moment, and effectiveness like Donovan Mitchell can is invaluable. Solidified and undisputed in his claim as one of history’s premier high-stakes performers, Mitchell adds to his thrilling exhibit, trusting his blend of body control and physicality to barrel through one of the league’s top perimeter defenders in Jalen Suggs, opening his path for a crowd-igniting and-one finish. Just one of Mitchell’s many highlights during the Game Seven win on May 5, 2024, the Cleveland Cavaliers star put in a clinic in resilience, helping Cleveland claw out of an 18-point first half deficit, the largest in a Game Seven over the last 25 seasons. Overcoming both a laboring knee and a top-five defense in the Orlando Magic, Mitchell showed why he ranks among league history’s top 10 in postseason PPG, guiding his team with, as his coach called it, skill, as well as spirit. One game removed from a 50-point masterpiece, Mitchell again ran up the scoreboards for 39 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal, one block, and two triples. The combined 89 points over the Game Six and Seven stretch ranked as NBA history’s second-highest over that type of two-game playoff stretch. · May 5, 2024