‘I hate every team that’s beat us’: Donovan Mitchell still has animosity toward Pacers — and always will
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Donovan Mitchell hasn’t forgotten what happened last spring.
He never will.
In his first game against the Indiana Pacers since being eliminated from the 2025 NBA playoffs earlier than expected, Mitchell unleashed sixth months of anger and resentment.
“They beat us, you want to beat ‘em. Simple as that,” Mitchell said following the 120-109 victory. “I think when you play the dudes that knocked you out, you want to win and take care of business.”
As the expected question came Mitchell’s way late Friday night — about the anticipated rematch and the feelings that are evoked when seeing the Pacers — Mitchell smirked.
“I hate every team that’s beat us,” Mitchell said pointedly. “Who doesn’t, right? If we had beaten them, I’m pretty sure they’d say the same thing, right? Hate Boston because they knocked us out. Hate New York. I hate Dallas. They knocked us out and it’s not even the same team. Just natural. You have a chance to play for a championship, and they knocked you out. You’re sitting home while they’re on TV. It’s just natural as a competitor.”
Forget that Indiana is unrecognizable. Two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton (torn Achilles), swingman Aaron Nesmith (knee sprain) and Obi Toppin (foot stress fracture) — a trio of playoff nemeses — are all sidelined with injury. Myles Turner is in Milwaukee, signing with the Bucks as an unrestricted free agent following Indiana’s marvelous Finals run. Sporadically used energetic big man Thomas Bryant is on the opposite bench as a member of the Cavaliers.
Forget that the Pacers are 2-14 with zero wins away from home and possess the conference’s second-worst point differential.
Forget that the organization is probably using this as a gap year — able to tank for a better draft pick and come back reloaded for next season.
None of that matters. Not to Mitchell. The vitriol oozed out of him Friday night. It’s just how he is wired.
“They’re different, but pretty much everybody that played was there except for Jay (Huff) and Jeremiah (Robinson-Earl), right? Obviously, their record doesn’t reflect the talent they have over there.”
Even though Mitchell is still haunted by the ghosts of his past playoff failures, with Indiana being the latest, each one has been a lesson. No matter how harsh.
He’s a better player because of those shortcomings. He’s hoping it will make Cleveland a better team, too.
Over the summer, he encouraged teammates to use it as fuel, imploring them to get in “one more rep, one more step, one more lift.” Whatever it would take to not feel that pain and embarrassment again.
This time, as Mitchell walked off the court, it was all smiles. He posed for photos with fans. He signed autographs. Cracked a few jokes. It was a far cry from May, when he was left seething on the bench, staring up at the rafters, toward the nothingness that had become Cleveland’s 2024-25 season.
On Friday night, the Cavs played one of their most complete games, leading for more than 40 minutes, by a game-high 22 at one point and clutching a double-digit advantage for most of the second half.
They had four players — Mitchell (32 points), Evan Mobley (22), De’Andre Hunter (20) and Darius Garland (20) — reach the 20-point threshold. All five starters scored in double figures — the sixth time in 2025-26.
Maybe it was Indiana — the postseason nuisance who is a shell of its former self thanks to a myriad injuries. Maybe it was the NBA Cup — the Cavs are still technically alive for even though Toronto clinched East Group A Friday night. Maybe it was the return of Garland and Jaylon Tyson — two players who bring infectious energy and palpable joy.
Whatever the reason, the Cavs had a different look.
“You remember the last time you played them,” Mobley admitted when asked about the emotions of hosting Indiana. “I think guys all remember that and wanted to come out here and prove what we have.”
The Cavs didn’t even need starting center Jarrett Allen, who missed the game with a strained right finger. Or Sam Merrill who has a badly swollen and bruised shooting hand that could sideline him for a little while. Or Max Strus who has yet to make his season debut following summer foot surgery.
The Cavs did have Garland — the shifty point guard who raises the team’s offensive ceiling, the guy who labored through the conference semifinals, which left some within the organization wondering what could have been.
Back from a five-game absence caused by that problematic surgically repaired big toe, Garland enlivened the offense and kept the Pacers off balance.
“It’s a whole different dynamic,” Mobley admitted when asked about Garland’s impact. “Having another ball handler out there and skilled guard, as skilled as he is, it’s way different. I feel like you felt that definitely in the first half and throughout the game.”
“We’re so much more versatile. Play with so much more speed,” Atkinson added. “It felt a little bit more like ourselves tonight.”
Garland finished with 20 points and seven assists while shooting 5 of 12 from the field, 3 of 4 from 3-point range and 7 of 7 from the free-throw line in 27 impactful minutes.
“It is getting there,” Garland said of the offense. “It takes time though. We’re still not even a hundred percent healthy yet, so it’s going to take some time, especially when everybody else gets back, it’s still going to take a little bit more. But yeah, we’re starting to get some flashes of some stuff from last year.”
Garland’s presence had a multi-layered effect. It kept feisty Indiana from hounding Mitchell and Mobley. It allowed Cleveland to play faster. There was more spacing. More driving. Mitchell was able to play off the ball more while Mobley could be closer to the rim.
“That makes Evan’s life so much easier,” Atkinson said. “I thought D.G. was really, really the catalyst to Evan getting going. I know Evan’s happy he’s back and he does the same thing for J.A. He’s our paint invader. Whether it’s with his own penetration or getting it into those big guys.”
The result: A dominant Cleveland win.
Only it doesn’t erase what happened in May. The sting of that loss still remains. Same goes for the hatred toward Indiana. It will never change.
