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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Donovan Mitchell has attempted to raise the stakes for the Cavs. The Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team in this season to play a 7-game series. They had a toe-to-toe battle against the thriving Orlando Magic and sent them home after a 4-3 series win. While the odds are against the inexperienced Cavs for the Pacers matchup, Spida Mitchell dropped a confident statement of being “level-headed” before blurting out “the biggest thing” to the press.

During the post-game press conference after the Game 7 win, Mitchell seemed pretty relaxed about the challenge in front of him. He addressed the public perception toward the upcoming series, saying, “For us coming into Boston — I’m pretty sure everyone thinks they’re going to come in and kick our ass.” After saying that, he also dropped his 4-word solution. He added, “So for us, to continue stay level-headed through it all, not listen to y’all, and be who we are — that’s the biggest thing.” The C’s notably had an intimidating presence from the start of the series.

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In the West, the teams battled to clinch the first seed. Whereas in the East, the teams battled for the second seed, as the Celtics were always a mile ahead of the rest of the teams. The imposing 64-18 regular season has given them the title of the favorites. Despite that, the Cavs have a minor advantage.

In the limited number of teams that have shocked the mighty Celtics, this series, Donovan Mitchell & Co. also has a place. Head to head, the Cs have 2-1 over the Cavs in the regular season. But, that one victory was a miraculous thriller in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The Cavs without Spida Mitchell and Evan Mobley had a 22-point deficit going into the fourth quarter. While it seemed like yet another blow-out win, the shorthanded Cavs turned the tables and took home a 105-104 win. Thanks to Dean Wade’s 20-point flurry at the end.

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Can Donovan Mitchell & Co. surprise the Celtics again?

On the surface level, it seems totally impossible for the Cavs to win the series. Notably, they won their first-ever playoff series without LeBron James since 1993. However, the Cavs have the potential in them and can defeat the Celts, if they cancel the outside noise, just like their leader mentioned.

In order to win the series, Donovan Mitchell has to show up, just like he did against the Magic. In the seven-game series, he averaged 28.7 points with a high score of 50 points in Game 6. Notably, he dropped 39 points in the crucial Game 7 to carry the team to the next round. Apart from him, Darius Garland also has stepped up his game. He averaged 15.3 points in the last series, which included two back-to-back 20-plus point games in Game 6 and 7.

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If the duo continue their performances, the Cavs have a sure-shot opportunity. On the other end, the Celtics will play their second round with their star Center Kristaps Porzingis, which could also act as an added boost for the Wine and Goldies. 

With Donovan Mitchell’s confidence, will the Cavs win the series against the Celtics? Let us know in the comments below.