Mitchell can't believe Cavs' exit: 'Let city down'

CLEVELAND -- A few minutes after the final buzzer had sounded throughout the arena and with the dust just beginning to settle on a 64-win season for the Cleveland Cavaliers that did not produce even a conference finals appearance, Donovan Mitchell returned to the sidelines and took a seat on the bench.

He held his phone in his hands, but he wasn't looking at it. Instead, he sat with his lip pursued, his gaze unfixed and his expression unchanging.

"I just couldn't believe it," Mitchell said following the Cavs' season-ending 114-105 loss in Game 5 on Tuesday night. "Didn't want to believe it. Don't want to believe it. Still don't want to believe it."

The Cavaliers led the Eastern Conference all season long, starting the year 15-0 and racking up three separate 10 game winning streaks en route to finishing with the second-best record in franchise history. Yet, they were upset by the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, who won the series 4-1.

Indiana will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals to face either the Celtics or Knicks after going 3-0 in Cleveland during the series. The Cavs hadn't lost consecutive home games at any point during this season prior to the series and blew a 19-point first half lead on Tuesday.

"I love playing in that f---ing arena," Mitchell said. "That energy, that crowd. We were 0-3 at home, let the city down. This place is special; this place is really special and we didn't get it done."

The Cavaliers became the fourth team in NBA history to win at least 64 games in the regular season and not advance past the second round, per ESPN Research.

Mitchell had been the Cavs best offensive player all series, averaging 34.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists, despite playing through a left ankle injury, which he aggravated at halftime in Game 4. Still, Mitchell gutted out a 35-point performance in Game 5 despite shooting 8 of 25 from the field (4 of 13 on 3-pointers).

In his career, Mitchell is averaging 28.3 points per game in the playoffs, the seventh-most in NBA playoff history. He's made the postseason in all eight years of his career, finishing on a team with the best record in the conference twice, but he's still never made it out the second round.

"We've had a lot of positives," Mitchell said about the Cavs season. "But we didn't capitalize. Now we've got to use this motivation. Everybody's going to write us off."

Injuries to several of the Cavs key rotation players changed the complexion of the series.

Darius Garland missed the first two games of the series (and four total playoff games) with a sprained left big toe and returned to average 14.0 points on 34% shooting (16.7% from 3) in three games. Evan Mobley, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and De'Andre Hunter, the Cavs prized trade deadline acquisition, both missed Game 2 after getting injured in Game 1. Mobley averaged 18.0 points and 9.8 rebounds on 58% shooting, but he also scored 11 total points across three fourth quarters in the series

"You just wish you were a whole, but I don't think that's an excuse," Atkinson said. "I don't want to say 'oh that's the reason, that's not the reason.' They were the better team."

Atkinson acknowledged some positive strides from the team this season, but he still noted how the Cavs struggled to match the Pacers physicality and intensity throughout the series.

"I do feel like we got better," Atkinson said. "From the team aspect and then we had a lot of individuals make a step, so I just want to make that clear. But the truth of the matter is we didn't get to the level we wanted to get to. So, I'm not pleased with that. And we're not celebrating the season, if that all makes sense. But I do think we made strides. I think we took a jump.

"Now we got to figure out this last piece, how to get over this hump. And I was quite honestly expecting more, especially coming off the [first-round] Miami series."

Despite the disappointment of the loss, Mitchell agreed with the sentiment. He called Cleveland's season a step in the right direction, even while sorting through the frustration of it not advancing further and doubled down on the Cavs core, saying "we'll be back."

"I'll go to bat for every guy in that locker room," Mitchell said. "Winning is not easy. Some things have to go right. You got to play well, got to capitalize on opportunities...we have a window with this group, I believe in everybody in here, we believe in each other. That's what sucks, we're a good team. And for 5 games...we didn't show what we're capable of. And ultimately that's what we're judged on.

"So get in the gym, weight room, nutrition, whatever it is, and get back at it. Because y'all are going to write us the f--- off man. We'll be back. Let the city down, let each other down. But we'll be back."