Donovan Mitchell

Starring in league history’s most lopsided opening-round series limited Donovan Mitchell to only three “clutch minutes” against the Miami Heat. Per usual, though, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ superstar fittingly found that this was all the time required to demonstrate his long-celebrated coolness in crunchtime. Matching the Heat’s “best shot” with accurate fires of his own, Mitchell — a ninth-place finisher in 2024-25’s Clutch Player of the Year voting — begins the party with a weave through pick-and-roll traffic, followed by a midrange pull-up. Mitchell’s 17-point final quarter avalanche also included a series of 3-pointers, the first of which arriving through an elusive brake-pumping dribble, followed by a rainbow against the Heat’s pick-and-roll switch just seconds later. Nearly unparalleled in his ability to raise his game to meet the stakes, Mitchell turned in a second-consecutive 30-point performance (on 10-of-21 shooting), joined by six rebounds, six assists, one steal, and remarkable 3-point efficiency (7-of-10). Following his lead, the Cavs unleashed the turbos in Game Two’s biggest moment, allowing a 2-0 series edge on April 23, 2025, and subsequently, a sweep.