Camille Naredo

Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles against the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden on February 28, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer, Getty Images/AFP/File

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - FEBRUARY 28: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles against the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden on February 28, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Cavaliers defeat the Celtics 123-116. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.   Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Maddie Meyer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

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Cleveland Cavaliers v Boston Celtics

Agence France-Presse

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741251929393AFP__20250301__2202596538__v2__HighRes__ClevelandCavaliersVBostonCeltics.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles against the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden on February 28, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer, Getty Images/AFP/File"/>Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles against the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden on February 28, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer, Getty Images/AFP/File</div>LOS ANGELES -- Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers punched their ticket to the NBA playoffs on Wednesday with a hard-fought 112-107 victory over the Miami Heat.A see-saw battle in Cleveland saw the Heat threaten to end the Cavs&#x27; 11-game unbeaten streak after opening up a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter.But the Cavs clawed back the deficit in the closing minutes to seal their 12th straight victory and a place in the postseason.The Cavaliers improved to 52-10, maintaining their stranglehold on the Eastern Conference with 20 games of the regular season remaining.Mitchell was one of six Cleveland players to finish in double figures against a short-handed Miami team missing Andrew Wiggins, Kel&#x27;el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr.Evan Mobley backed Mitchell with 16 points and 13 rebounds while Darius Garland finished with 15 points and 10 assists. Bam Adebayo led Miami&#x27;s scorers with a game-high 34 points.The victory though was too close for comfort for Cleveland talisman Mitchell.&quot;It took a collective effort as a group but we locked down and got stops -- but we&#x27;ve got to be better,&quot; Mitchell said. &quot;It&#x27;s always good to learn through a win though.&quot;Mitchell played down the significance of Cleveland becoming the first team to reach the postseason.&quot;It&#x27;s definitely a blessing and a sign of our hard work, but it don&#x27;t really mean much,&quot; Mitchell said. &quot;I&#x27;m happy we were able to do it for the crowd, but we&#x27;ve got a lot more to accomplish.&quot;Cleveland&#x27;s nearest pursuers, the Boston Celtics, powered past the Portland Trail Blazers 128-118 after a sensational pair of 40-point performances from Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.<div>- &#x27;Lucky to have them&#x27; -</div><div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tKUHE1KDCNU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></div>White finished with 41 points while Pritchard erupted for 43, delivering a shooting masterclass that included 10 three-pointers from 16 attempts.&quot;They were tremendous,&quot; Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said of White and Pritchard&#x27;s double-act. &quot;The way those two played says a lot about who they are.&quot;They do a lot of the dirty work. So to have a night like this where those two can show what they&#x27;re capable of was good for us.&quot;We&#x27;re lucky to have them and it&#x27;s a lot of fun to watch them do that.&quot;The Celtics improved to 44-18 with the win and are eight games behind leaders Cleveland.In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder edged closer to a playoff berth after surging past the Memphis Grizzlies 120-103 on the back of a 41-point performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.&quot;I&#x27;m just having fun with the game, nothing more than that,&quot; Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN. &quot;I&#x27;m trusting my team-mates, trusting the work I put in in the off-season, and just trying to have fun and play free.&quot;Oklahoma City improved to 51-11 and now lead the West by 11 games from the second-placed Los Angeles Lakers.In Denver, the Nuggets fought back from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to score a 116-110 defeat of the Sacramento Kings.Russell Westbrook led Denver&#x27;s scorers with 25 points while Jamal Murray added 24 and Nikola Jokic 22.Elsewhere, the Milwaukee Bucks kept up their pursuit of the Eastern Conference&#x27;s front-runners with a 137-107 drubbing of the Dallas Mavericks.Damian Lillard led the Bucks scoring with 34 points while Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 32 points. The Bucks improved to 36-25 for the season and remain fourth in the Eastern Conference.In Charlotte, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels scored 29 points apiece as the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away to complete a 125-110 win over the Hornets.<div>© Agence France-Presse</div>

Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers punched their ticket to the NBA playoffs on Wednesday with a hard-fought 112-107 victory over the Miami Heat.

Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers punched their ticket to the NBA playoffs on Wednesday with a hard-fought 112-107 victory over the Miami Heat.

Cavs hold off Heat to book NBA playoff berth

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Cavs hold off Heat to book NBA playoff berth

Agence France-Presse

Published March 06, 2025 05:06 PM PHT

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