[Collier] “I’ve been here before, the pressure’s really not – I don’t really feel it,” (Donovan) Mitchell told ESPN. “This isn’t pressure. Getting your next meal is pressure. Where am I going to live? You know, that’s pressure. This is an opportunity. This is fun.”
Harden, meanwhile, has turned the ball over more times than he has made field goals in three of his past six games. He has recorded such games 29 times throughout his playoff career – the fifth most in NBA history.
If this season is to end in more than a third straight second-round loss – Cleveland already trails the top-seeded Detroit Pistons 1-0 entering Game 2 on Thursday night – the Cavs will almost certainly need more from their star duo. How the Cavs finish this playoff run will have a significant impact on the reputations of the pair, and perhaps as importantly, define the future for the most expensive roster in basketball.
“I’ve been here before, the pressure’s really not – I don’t really feel it,” Mitchell told ESPN. “This isn’t pressure. Getting your next meal is pressure. Where am I going to live? You know, that’s pressure. This is an opportunity. This is fun.
“At least I know we put our best foot forward regardless of the result. … In years past, some s— just didn’t go my way. Now I’m like: We made the moves. We’ve done the talk. Now, just continue to walk the walk.”