Cavs freeze Heat, punch playoffs spot

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers punched their ticket to the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs on Wednesday with a hard-fought 112-107 victory over the Miami Heat.

A see-saw battle in Cleveland saw the Heat threaten to end the Cavs’ 11-game unbeaten streak after opening up a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter.

But the Cavs clawed back the deficit in the closing minutes to seal their 12th straight victory and a place in the postseason.

The Cavaliers improved to 52-10, maintaining their stranglehold on the Eastern Conference with 20 games of the regular season remaining.

Mitchell was one of six Cleveland players to finish in double figures against a short-handed Miami team missing Andrew Wiggins, Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Evan Mobley backed Mitchell with 16 points and 13 rebounds while Darius Garland finished with 15 points and 10 assists. Bam Adebayo led Miami’s scorers with a game-high 34 points.

The victory though was too close for comfort for Cleveland talisman Mitchell.

“It took a collective effort as a group but we locked down and got stops — but we’ve got to be better,” Mitchell said.

“It’s always good to learn through a win though.”

Mitchell played down the significance of Cleveland becoming the first team to reach the postseason.

“It’s definitely a blessing and a sign of our hard work, but it doesn’t really mean much,” Mitchell said.

“I’m happy we were able to do it for the crowd, but we’ve got a lot more to accomplish.”

Cleveland’s nearest pursuers, the Boston Celtics, powered past the Portland Trail Blazers 128-118 after a sensational pair of 40-point performances from Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.

White finished with 41 points while Pritchard erupted for 43, delivering a shooting masterclass that included 10 three-pointers from 16 attempts.

“They were tremendous,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said of White and Pritchard’s double-act. “The way those two played says a lot about who they are.”

“They do a lot of the dirty work. So, to have a night like this where those two can show what they’re capable of was good for us.”

“We’re lucky to have them and it’s a lot of fun to watch them do that.”

The Celtics improved to 44-18 with the win and are eight games behind leaders Cleveland.