It took Donovan Mitchell just 3 minutes to prove the Cavaliers are dangerous

Following a historic regular season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have already made a statement in game one in round one against the Miami Heat.

Opening a seven-game series well can be make or break, not only fo rthat series, but to get enough rest ahead of the next one. For the Cavaliers, avoiding injuries and executing offensively will be critical to outlast a talented squad like the Heat. With two All-Star talents at the helm in Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, Miami is a more threatening eighth seed than typically expected. The Heat's veteran leadership and coaching prowess means the Cavs cannot take a moment off without risking putting themselves in a hole.

The Cavaliers entered the 2025 NBA Playoffs with the best Eastern Conference record and three All-Star players leading the way. After two postseasons battling as an underdog, Cleveland is now one of the premiere Finals contenders among the 16 remaining hopeful franchises.

With higher expectations, the Cavaliers must prove themselves as more than a regular season squad. Their team production has fallen off significantly in the past two playoffs, and stars have struggled to stay on the court with poor injury luck. This year, with a new head coach and noticeable internal growth, the Cavs cannot take their position at the top of the conference for granted.

Cavaliers' Spida-Man wastes no time making highlight plays

In the opening period, the Cavaliers clearly understood the importance of the moment, namely Cavs star guard Donovan Mitchell. In just three minutes of action, Mitchell unleashed a firestorm of offensive prowess, throwing down a highlight reel dunk off a baseline drive.

Mitchell, the Cavs' perennial All-Star captain, scored four points in the first three minutes of action. As Cleveland's on-court leader, Mitchell's tone-setting highlights propelled the Cavs to an early 9-2 lead in the first quarter to begin their third-consecutive postseason run.

In his third season with the Cavaliers, Mitchell has put together another All-NBA campaign, averaging 24 points, 5 assists and 4.5 rebounds in just 31.4 minutes of action. While his minutes and usage were lower in favor of a more team-centric approach, Mitchell's efficiency helped lead the Cavs to the franchise's third-ever 60-win season.

Cleveland's historic regular season record would lose much value if the Cavaliers cannot maximize their ranking among the east. Entering the playoffs, the Cavs ranked first in offensive rating and second in three-point shooting despite being a middle-of-the-road offense for the last four seasons.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Miami Heat again on Wednesday, April 23 in Rocket Arena at 7:30pm Eastern Time for game two of the NBA Playoffs first round.