"Shooting will come alive…I trust you."
Cleveland Cavaliers and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who added one win after a close game, were disappointing. Cleveland beat Toronto 105-102 at home on the 27th (Korea time) at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. Both teams played a close game, unable to escape by more than 12 points. They exchanged the fifth tie and the eighth turnaround. From Cleveland's point of view, it could have been a little easier if the main guard Mitchell had played an active role. Mitchell had 17 shots on the day, but only four of them were successful. He threw five 3-pointers and failed to score any. He managed to score 10 points. Mitchell, who recently missed four games due to a hamstring injury, returned to his home game against the Los Angeles Lakers the previous day and scored 22 points, but he scored only 10 points on the day. Cleveland manager J.B. Bickerstaff said in an interview after the game that "there was no need for a separate conversation." "The low average score means it explodes. Today, my colleagues did it for me, and he also worked hard in defense and other areas. The shooting will come alive. "I don't doubt it," he said, expressing his faith in the team's star. Despite Mitchell's poor performance, Cleveland added one valuable win thanks to other players' performances. He was dragged to 12 points late in the second quarter, but turned it around. Asked about the difference in performance in the first and second half, Bickerstaff said, "We ordered players to pay attention to small things at halftime and said each other should help each other. In the first half we were looking for ourselves. Emphasizing that we are a better team than this, we ordered each other to help. As a result, positive energy continued," he replied. Darius Garland, who scored 24 points and eight assists on the day, said, "I tried to create as much energy as possible. With a 10-point deficit, everyone touched the ball and made it possible to shoot. "As long as I had a shot, I thought it would be okay for the offensive rebound to support," he said of the second half of the game. Bickerstaff said of Garland, "If he's holding the ball, everyone can be an option. The team members knew this, too. He wants his teammates to play together, and he wants to play for him. They show their creative and selfless appearance and try to play the right way. It was good to see the tall players working with him at the decisive moment. We need him," he said. As for Max Strus, who scored 20 points in the third quarter alone, he said, "I got an easy scoring opportunity as my air defense conversion went well. Confidence seemed to build up in the process of shifting momentum. The most pleasing thing is that I kept talking about the team. He didn't do it on his own. Colleagues kept looking for him, and he created a good opportunity. It is important for team members to recognize and help players who can score points." "My teammates kept finding me well in the open spot," Strus said, attributing the massive score to his teammates. Veteran center Tristan Thompson played only 7 1/2 minutes, but he showed his presence with four points and four rebounds during this period. Bickerstaff praised the veteran's presence, saying, "This is why he plays in this league for a long time." "I'm making a difference by doing things that no one is trying to do. We have faith that he will not make a mistake. He has a good grasp of his opponent's weaknesses and strengths, a good size, good movement, and the ability to mark multiple positions. "I have faith that I'm ready at any time," he continued.