June 19, 2016. A night Cleveland will never forget. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving shattered the curse, toppling the mighty Warriors. The Cavaliers were champions. At last. But fairy tales don’t last forever—LeBron moved on, the young guns took over, and for years, the dream of another title felt distant. Then came 2022. Enter Donovan Mitchell—swagger, skill, and fire in his veins. The Cavs had their spark again. And now? That championship dream isn’t just a dream anymore. It’s closer than ever.

Spida put on a show against the Knicks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The first half? The Knicks are in control, up 7 at the break. But the second half? Pure Cavs dominance. Mitchell took charge, made key tweaks, and turned the tide. Final score: 124-105. A statement win, loud and clear.

Donovan Mitchell talks about the shifts and tweaks in the game that gave the Cavaliers an upper hand

During the postgame press conference, the media wanted to know about the “little things” Mitchell did on the court that helped the team win the game. He said: “Just trying to find ways to impact the game. Like I’ve been telling y’all, being like—second half, I think, was really different for me. Even the second quarter, picking up at the end of the first.” Mitchell further added: “I set a goal for myself for rebounds per game. Not going to tell you what it is, but just trying to find ways to continue to help out the bigs on the glass. In the passing lane, disrupting stuff, stuff like that. Finding guys when they’re open. That’s really what it is.”

The sole target for the 28-year-old point guard is to create havoc on the court, even when the team is falling behind. That’s how they take the lead; that’s how it’s done in Cleveland. However, points don’t really matter to Donovan Mitchell when he’s leading his boys to a win. So he said: “The scoring is going to be the scoring. Some nights, it’s 27; some nights, it’s 20. Some nights, it’s 40—whatever it’s called for. But how am I impacting winning? That’s been pretty much my mentality.”

Moreover, Donovan Mitchell isn’t sweating the slow start. OG came in hot, but perfection? That’s a myth. Rest doesn’t guarantee fireworks from the jump. It’s all about the response. Down 15? No panic. That’s not all; Spida Mitchell’s sacrifices fueled the Cavs, proving that winning means more than stats. “Everybody says you got to sacrifice until it’s your turn. Are you willing to do that for the greater good of the group? That’s the ultimate test to me,” Mitchell expressed.

Besides, Mitchell knows the numbers. Fewer points, lower averages—some might call it a “down year.” But he’s not chasing stats. “This has been the best season as a group for me, and that’s really what matters is winning.” Selfless play, team-first mentality—that’s the real win. But surprisingly, some, like the ESPN veteran Doris Burke, failed to see the efforts the Cavs put on the floor, thus triggering the fans.

Doris Burke attracts fans’ wrath in Cleveland Cavaliers’ disregard

So, the Cavaliers fans noticed something odd during the game. ESPN’s veteran commentator Doris Burke reportedly completely ignored anything the Cavs did and started raving about the Knicks when they scored. And “when Anunoby had that euro at the end of the 2nd, he proceeded to airball a three and commit a turnover, but she went out of her way to reel it back to the euro,” one of the Reddit users blasted. Following this, a series of frustrated comments filled social media.

One of the fans commented: “It was funny how disappointed she seemed last time the Cavs played the Celtics. She was so hyped when we went down early and then nothing when we ended up winning.” Well, on February 28, Donovan Mitchell and Co. played the C’s and defeated them. Meanwhile, Doris Burke was all smiles when the Cavs trailed early. But when they pulled off the win? Silence. Funny how the hype fades when the script flips.

Meanwhile, a set of fans went all-out in criticizing Burke for her ‘biased’ approach. They wrote things like, “Eh, who cares what she thinks,” “She’s garbage, and I can’t wait for her to retire,” and “Doris Burke is as bad as Mike Breen is good. Perfect balance.” Well, it’s clear that the Cleveland fans aren’t particularly happy with the veteran’s commentary on Thursday.

Another fan wrote: “Us as a Cavs community needs to not care. ESPN is always going to the large markets. Let’s enjoy this ride. Espn shouldn’t matter. Go CAVS !!!!” Well, there is no secret. ESPN loves big markets, so what? Cavs’ fans don’t need the spotlight. Just enjoy the ride, block out the noise, and let the wins do the talking.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers are rolling, and Donovan Mitchell is leading the charge. Bias, doubters, big-market love? Let them talk. Spida’s sacrifices, leadership, and grit fuel this team. Cleveland is built different—hungry, locked in, and proving that winning speaks louder than hype.