There are two incredible stories ongoing in Cleveland right now. First, a quarterback competition that includes Shedeur Sanders, who might have the most unprecedented draft-day slide in NFL history. And the other is the 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers, who find themselves down 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers after losing both games at home.
However, a Game 3 win has given the Cavaliers something to hope for, especially with three starters returning to the lineup. After the second day of minicamp, the newest member of the Browns roster was asked about the run the city’s basketball team was on, and his enthusiasm was hard to deny.
Shedeur Sanders Cheers on Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers
The past two games have been the Donovan Mitchell show for Cleveland. Back-to-back 40-point games have seen him show off that playoff killer that was first visible during his time with the Utah Jazz.
Down 0-2 in the series and facing certain elimination, Mitchell put together a remarkable stat line of 43 points, nine rebounds, and five assists to give Cleveland some life. Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton, finishing with one of his worst playoff games ever, totaled just four points.
For the new Cleveland quarterback, though, Sanders was firmly rooting for the Cavs.
“#Browns QB Shedeur Sanders said he’s pulling for the #Cavs to keep their playoff run going—hoping to get to a game with some teammates and family,” posted journalist Camryn Justice.
Unfortunately, with minicamp in full swing, Sanders could not catch the game in its entirety.
“I seen they won yesterday. But, like I said, I was focused on the playbook; I couldn’t even watch the game. So that’s pretty much it. But nah, I respect everything they’re doing.”
On his end, Sanders has a huge hole to climb out of as well. As the fifth-round pick for the Browns, he is facing competition from Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel to become Cleveland’s QB1. And with his comments about the playbook, it’s clear that Sanders’ focus is firmly on earning that starter spot sooner rather than later.
Simultaneously, the Cavaliers also have a clear approach heading into the next few games. Mitchell made it clear at the postgame press conference, in a startling image of an iconic Kobe Bryant moment.
“It’s 2-1. We haven’t done anything, we won one game. We gotta do it again. That’s always been my message. I told them, ‘We’re not celebrating. We’re not smiling. We came here to take two games, and we did one.'”
As Mitchell points out, the next game will be the most challenging game of the series and perhaps the season as a whole. But a fully healthy Cleveland team has shown itself capable of meeting the challenge.