5 games that defined the Cleveland Cavaliers 2022-23 regular season

No. 1: Donovan Mitchell’s 71-point record-breaker

There is no other option as THE moment for the Cavaliers this season. The Cavaliers sent a historic package to Utah in order to acquire Donovan Mitchell. The trade was celebrated for keeping the Cavs’ young core intact, but surrendering as many draft picks as they did was a cause for concern to many.

The payoff needed to be clear, and Donovan Mitchell provided that clarity against the Chicago Bulls on January 2, 2023.

If you forgot the work of art or simply want to relive it in written word, here’s a quick recap. At the free throw line, Donovan Mitchell sinks the first shot, bringing Cleveland within two. A second made free throw guarantees one point, but does not give Cleveland a better chance to win. Instead, Spida intentionally missed his free throw and chased it for a tremendous put back shot, tying the game.

In the final moments, Chicago fails to score once more, taking the game to overtime. In the five-minute overtime, Mitchell scored 13 points on 4-of-4 field goal attempts made, three of which were from deep. In addition to the 71 points record for the Cavs, Mitchell also garnered 11 assists and 8 rebounds to give Cleveland the 145-134 victory.

The arrival of Donovan Mitchell has been nothing short of a historic catalyst for Cleveland. A countless list of games could be considered for a spot in this list, considering his record-setting 245 three-pointers made in a season for a Cleveland Cavalier, passing J.R. Smith’s record of 204 set in the 2015-2016 regular season campaign (spoiler alert: When Smith did that, the Cavs won the championship. Foreshadowing? One can only hope.)

Where does Cleveland go from here, then? The NBA Playoffs, obviously. The Cavaliers plan to Let ‘Em Know that this regular season was no fluke. The new era of Cleveland basketball has arrived, and it is ready to make history.