Donovan Mitchell has been a tough cover for the Boston Celtics during their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The All-Star guard’s ability to score off the dribble and off the catch has made him a difficult cover for the Celtics defense, especially when he’s coming over a screen in the pick-and-roll.
When speaking to the media following Boston’s 106-93 win on Saturday (May 11), Jrue Holiday revealed that he entered that contest with a new game plan to try to wear Mitchell down. That change allowed Holiday to enjoy his best offensive game of the postseason so far.
“I just thought about being aggressive,” Holiday said via MassLive’s Brian Robb. “We know Donovan’s going to be aggressive on one side of the ball but we can make him run on the other side if he’s guarding me. There’s a lot of times where I might defer or do something (else) and I just thought maybe attacking him might get him even more exhausted by the third or fourth quarter.”
Mitchell’s impact on offense had significantly waned by the fourth quarter. He shot 1-of-4 from the field and ended his 10-minute stretch with three points to his name.
Celtics 'answered the call' in Game 3 win over the Cavaliers https://t.co/mrkpyIh6Yw pic.twitter.com/X9O4PfpD1V
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 13, 2024
Cleveland will undoubtedly look for ways to counter Holiday’s new plan for slowing down their star player.
However, if Boston can keep making him work on the defensive end, they may have found a way to keep the Cavaliers’ best offensive threat subdued late in games, which would be a major boost to the Celtics’ chances of closing out the series in quick fashion.
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