The historic challenge facing the Cleveland Cavaliers and Mitchell's health status

Dominating the regular season does not guarantee success in the playoffs. Just ask the Cleveland Cavaliers, who, after a historically dominant run in the East, find themselves completely on the ropes against the Indiana Pacers, who lead the series 3-1. Only 13 times has such a deficit been overcome, and there is uncertainty regarding the health of Donovan Mitchell.

No one expected so many difficulties in the 2025 NBA playoffs from one of the best teams of the season. The Cleveland Cavaliers seemed to be already looking ahead to a potential showdown with the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, but now they are completely cornered, facing the challenge of an epic comeback to stay alive in the competition. With a 3-1 deficit and Donovan Mitchell struggling with an ankle injury, the team from Ohio must achieve a feat that has only happened 13 times in NBA history.

- Donovan Mitchell says he will be ready to play in the next game

It is no easy task to come back from such an adverse situation. The last time something like this happened was in 2020, when the Nuggets did it against the Clippers, but it was in a neutral court due to COVID, which diminishes its significance. We have to go back to 2016 to find a better example, the only time it occurred in a Finals series, with the famous Cavs' comeback against the Warriors. In the 21st century, a 3-1 deficit has been overcome seven times, but two of them were on neutral ground.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El reto histórico al que se enfrentan los Cleveland Cavaliers y el estado de salud de Mitchell