Game Night Observations: Donovan Mitchell's Big Night, Mostly Good Defense & Jaylon Tyson's Start

The Cavs did something on Wednesday they have rarely done historically: win in South Beach.

MIAMI – The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up a 126-106 road win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.

News came out at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday morning that Cavs (likely) All-Star guard Darius Garland was going to sit out that night’s game against the Heat for rest purposes. On that same injury report, guard Sam Merrill was added as questionable with an illness. Merrill did not play, and this left the Cavs with 10 available players.

Instead of this leading to a rough night in a building where the Cavs, historically, have seldom won games, Donovan Mitchell sensed the moment. The most consistent thing he’s done this season is know exactly what the Cavs need and how to do it. Time and time again he comes through for them.

On Wednesday night, without Garland, Merrill and three other rotation players, Mitchell poured in 34 points and six assists to help carry the Cavs offensively.

“That was probably the story of the game,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the game. “Him sensing the moment.”

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This is what Mitchell does and this is what has made this season for him so different than his previous All-Star campaigns, both in Cleveland and earlier in his career with the Utah Jazz. In the past, sensing the moment always meant going and getting buckets. That’s what it meant on Wednesday in Miami, but it hasn’t always been that this year.