Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell encouraged his team’s fan base to respect Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal clash on Tuesday, May 6. Mitchell’s sportsmanship display garnered him high praise from NBA fans on social media.
NBA Fans Laud Donovan Mitchell After Coming to Tyrese Haliburton’s Defense
With the first-seeded Cavaliers (64-18) trailing the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers (50-32) 1-0, Game 2 was critical for them. Cleveland came out strong, leading 32-15 after the first quarter, led by Mitchell’s 12 points.
With Indiana behind 59-49 with 21.8 seconds remaining in the first half, Haliburton headed to the free-throw line with the Rocket Arena crowd chanting “overrated” at him. This seemingly referenced The Athletic’s annual player poll in which Haliburton received an NBA-leading 14.4% of 90 votes for the “league’s most overrated player” designation.
However, Mitchell wasn’t having it, as he promptly signaled to the crowd to stop their heckling tactic.
Most fans on X commended Mitchell for his respectful gesture to Haliburton, with some taking note of his leadership.
“class act,” one fan said.
class act.
— 💠(@fourdtough)
“Donovan Mitchell is a great leader,” another wrote.
“Wow big respect,” one user commented.
“Don’s such a good dude,” another added.
“Good sportsmanship,” one remarked.
Good sportsmanship
— Sticks-n-Stonez Cigar & Spirits Show by BrentElrod (@sticksnstonez2)
However, others speculated that Mitchell was taking a cautious approach to ensure Cleveland fans avoided motivating Haliburton.
“He knows Haliburton steps up his game when he heard ‘overrated’ chants,” one fan theorized.
“Mitchell scared of making Hali angry,” another quipped.
Mitchell scared of making Hali angry
— $0.02timmy (@0x002timmy)
Haliburton Hits Game-Winning 3-Pointer To Steal Game 2
Cavaliers fans’ fears about Haliburton coming to life in the second half proved justified. After the Pacers’ deficit ballooned to 20 points midway through the third quarter, they mounted a ferocious comeback.
Haliburton scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, part of his team’s 36-21 advantage over the final 12 minutes. Trailing 119-117 with 12.4 seconds remaining, the two-time All-Star intentionally missed the second of two free throws. He proceeded to get his own rebound and retreated to the 3-point line, where he converted a game-winning step-back triple with 1.1 seconds remaining.
TYRESE HALIBURTON WINS GAME 2 FOR THE PACERS 😱🤯
WHAT. A. WILD. PLAY. pic.twitter.com/rFsjZmtrBz
— NBA (@NBA)
The miraculous shot capped off Indiana’s 8-0 closing run in which Cleveland suffered multiple mishaps, including botching an inbounds pass with 27.5 seconds left.
The Cavaliers’ late-game meltdown squandered Mitchell’s playoff-best scoring performance. The six-time All-Star tallied a game-high 48 points, five rebounds, nine assists, and four steals, shooting 15-for-30 (50%).
Mitchell and Co. now head to Indianapolis for their Game 3 clash on Friday, May 9, trailing 2-0. The contest will be considered a must-win for their hopes of coming back in the series.
