TORONTO — Cavaliers star guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden began their playoff tenure together on a high note, as Cleveland’s new-look duo appeared to be a dynamic fit in Games 1 and 2.
But, at least to this point, none of that chemistry has traveled north of the border.
Although the Cavs rely on several key players in the lineup and rotation, Mitchell and Harden are the engine that drives Cleveland’s playoff chances, especially on the offensive end of the floor.
The Cavs needed a work-of-art masterpiece from their backcourt tandem. But the picture they got in Games 3 and 4 wouldn’t even be worthy of pinning to the fridge at home.
The Cavaliers struggled through a disastrous offensive performance in a Game 4 loss April 26, which tied the series 2-2 leading into a now-crucial Game 5 at Rocket Arena on April 29.
Donovan Mitchell, James Harden playoff stats
Mitchell made only six of his 24 shot attempts, a near-impossible reality for one of the top 10 scorers in the league. He also committed four turnovers and was involved in a devastatingly important 8-second violation in the final 40 seconds, which happened to be the last time the Cavs held the lead. Mitchell went on to miss a floater and a 3-point attempt the rest of the way.
“[The offensive flow] was there [in Games] 1 and 2. It’s not like it hasn’t been there before, right?” Mitchell said. “But, at the end of the day, when we do get it to that point, we got to close out the game. I’ve just got to be better. We got to be better. That’s why the ball’s in my hands, right?”
Harden committed seven turnovers after being guilty of eight turnovers in Game 3. He was applauded for always putting passes right on the money like a prime Bob Feller after the Cavs’ Game 2 win, and then in Toronto turned the ball over 15 times, never looking comfortable with the Raptors defense swarming him.
“Definitely mental. The game of basketball is mental,” Harden said, discussing the difference between home and road playoff games. “You’ve got to, obviously when things are going crazy, the crowd’s going crazy, they make a run, we make a run, you still got to focus on the task at hand and what you’re supposed to be doing.”
Cavaliers vs Raptors playoff stats
The Cavs led by eight points with under five minutes remaining in Game 4. At that point, the series was just about in hand, as they were only a few positive plays away from a 3-1 lead. Those are some of the moments when the Cavs know they need to rely on Mitchell and Harden the most.
But in Game 4 — and really both games in Toronto — Cleveland struggled to close. The Raptors finished the first half on a 10-0 run and then controlled the final few minutes of the second half.
And that collapse down the stretch guaranteed a Game 6 in Toronto and left the series tied with 100% of the momentum now swung the Raptors’ way.
“They’re trying to speed us up. I think they are speeding us up,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “So we’ll look at it, we’ll get better at it. But credit to them, that’s what they’ve done all year. They’re a team that turns others over, right? That’s their strength.
“So we got to help James. I got to help James.”
When asked if he felt it was a missed opportunity in Toronto, Mitchell and Harden separately both had the same answer: “One thousand percent.”
If the Cavs are to regain control of a runaway train of a first-round series, they’ll likely need their backcourt duo at the controls.
Mitchell’s final words of his postgame news conference were apropos, though it could also be extended to Harden: “It’s on me.”
Ryan Lewis covers the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Donovan Mitchell, James Harden struggle vs Raptors, must lead Cavs rebound
Reporting by Ryan Lewis, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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