Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals is set to take place at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night with the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the New York Knicks.
This features a homecoming for Cavaliers superstar Donovan Mitchell who was born and raised in New York, but has made it very clear that while it’s special to be able to play in his home state, he solely focused on the task at hand, which is trying to advance to the NBA Finals and knock the Knicks off.
“I’m excited. I get to sleep in my own bed, that’s always great,” Mitchell admitted, “but at the end of the day this is a business trip. This isn’t something where I’m here to be like, ‘Man, I’m so excited to be home.’ I did that already. And we lost.”
Mitchell made his respect for the New York Knicks very clear following the Cavaliers’ Game 7 win on Sunday, praising several players on the roster and admitting the team is peaking at the right time.
“They got a lot of talent. I think they’re peaking at the right time,” Mitchell said Sunday. “I think a lot of guys are playing well over there. Obviously, you have Jalen Brunson, the head of the snake, and Karl-Anthony Towns, but Mikal and OG are equally as dangerous. That’s what we’re starting to see. Josh Hart’s a dog. We know them very well and understand that it’s going to be a dogfight.”
Mitchell is going to have to play like the best player on the floor if the Cleveland Cavaliers want to win the series. The six-time All-Star has averaged 27.8 points per game throughout his NBA career, but this will mark the first conference finals appearance of his career.
The Cavaliers went 1-2 against the New York Knicks during the regular season, though Mitchell still played extremely well, averaging 29.3 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.7 rebounds across those three matchups.
More news: Cowboys Antagonist Stephen A. Smith Makes Appearance With Jerry Jones
Read the full article here
