Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers took a 2-0 series lead over the Toronto Raptors.
On April 20, 2026, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, Mitchell was at the center of the Cavaliers’ commanding Game 2 win, reacting after a made basket during the second half of the first-round matchup in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
Cleveland controlled the game from the outset and never trailed, securing a 115-105 win over Toronto to defend home court before the series shifts to Toronto for Game 3 on Thursday night. While Mitchell’s 30-point performance stood out, head coach Kenny Atkinson pointed to another encouraging development in his star’s game: a more measured scoring approach.
Since James Harden joined Cleveland in February, he has blended smoothly into the team’s system and added 28 points in the victory. Atkinson said Harden’s presence has also positively influenced Mitchell, both through their on-court chemistry and their constant communication, with both players emerging as clear leaders.
Atkinson said Harden has helped bring more balance to Mitchell’s scoring mentality.
“I still go crazy sometimes wanting him to pass the ball, and then he hits a crazy shot… there’s a couple of times where Don has it in iso, and the defense is crashing, so he just throws it to James.”
“They’re constantly in constant conversations about what’s going on out there, and in a huddle, they are de facto leaders,” Atkinson said.
“They’re vocal, and they see what’s going on both sides of the court, and tonight was one of these games where you had to be really sharp because they were changing lineups, they were changing coverages, they went small, and they go back big for a few minutes as small, so things were moving at us fast. That’s why it helps to have smart guys like that.”
The victory also tied an NBA record. Cleveland has now won 12 straight playoff games against Toronto, equaling the most consecutive postseason wins over one opponent in league history.
That streak began in the 2016 Eastern Conference finals, when the Cavaliers won the final two games, and continued with four-game sweeps in the 2017 and 2018 second rounds.
Cleveland also owns 12-game playoff winning streaks against Detroit and Atlanta, while the Los Angeles Lakers put together a 12-game run against Seattle from 1980 to 1989. The Cavaliers can claim the record outright with another win on Thursday.
Toronto, though, showed more energy in transition, giving Atkinson something to evaluate. The Raptors produced 16 fast-break points after scoring only three in Saturday’s opener. Still, they undermined themselves with a season-high 22 turnovers, which Cleveland turned into 22 points.
“They threw the kitchen sink at us, gave us a lot of different looks and [we] kept our poise,” Atkinson said. “Donovan and James closed it for us, but I thought our defense kind of forced them to go small. This is what the playoffs are about. They came at us hard, and we responded.”
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