The Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2025 season, filled with record-setting wins and championship expectations, ended in stunning fashion in the second round of the NBA playoffs. After securing the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed and posting a franchise-best 64 victories, the Cavaliers were eliminated in five games by the Indiana Pacers.
As the final buzzer sounded on Tuesday’s 114–105 Game 5 loss at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the mood was somber — and no one felt it more than Donovan Mitchell.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” Mitchell said. “Didn’t want to believe it. Don’t want to believe it. Still don’t want to believe it.”
Mitchell, who played through a painful ankle injury and scored 35 points in the final game, was visibly shaken. After the loss, he returned to the sideline and sat alone, taking time to process the abrupt end to Cleveland’s season. The Cavaliers had entered the playoffs with championship aspirations, fueled by long winning streaks and a two-way identity built on elite defense and explosive scoring.
“We lost 4-1. We were the one seed,” Mitchell said. “It’s not like we were the eighth seed trying to beat the one seed. Don’t run from this. It’s gonna be a loud summer and a lot of voices about what the Cavs are and what they should do. I’ve been through a few of those. Use it as fuel. It’s the only thing we can do.”
Cleveland Cavaliers Take No Moral Victories
Mitchell made clear that the team wouldn’t find solace in regular-season success.
“There’s no moral victories here,” he said. “We just didn’t get the job done. There’s really nothing else to be said. Winning is tough. You got to be willing to damn near die out there on the floor. Not to say we weren’t, but you look around the league, you got to capitalize.”
Despite the loss, Mitchell expressed belief in Cleveland’s roster and frustration that the group didn’t show its best when it mattered most.
“We have a window with this group,” he said. “I believe in everybody in here. We believe in each other. That’s what sucks, man. We’re a good team and for five, four games, three games, we didn’t show what we’re capable of. And ultimately, that’s what we’re judged on.”
He also delivered a message of accountability heading into the offseason.
“Get in the gym, weight room, nutrition, whatever it is, and get back at it,” Mitchell said. “Because y’all are going to write us off, man. But we’ll be back. We let the city down, let each other down.
Locker Room Reactions
The disappointment echoed across the locker room. Center Jarrett Allen pointed to Cleveland’s inability to sustain mental focus and physical edge.
“We have to do it for longer,” Allen said. “I feel like that was the name of the game for every game that we played during the series. I feel like we could have been more locked in mentally for longer, been more physical for longer.”
Forward Evan Mobley shared a similar sentiment, emphasizing the need to learn from the experience and move forward.
“Definitely wanted to go further,” Mobley said. “You got to just take it moment by moment right now. Learn from it. Get better. Come back stronger.”
Kenny Atkinson: “We’re Not Celebrating the Season”
In his first year with the Cavaliers, head coach Kenny Atkinson oversaw a 64-win season and one of the league’s most efficient offenses. But he made it clear after the loss that regular-season achievements were no consolation.
“I do feel like we got better,” Atkinson said. “From the team aspect and then we had a lot of individuals make a step. But the truth of the matter is we didn’t get to the level we wanted to get to. So, I’m not pleased with that. And we’re not celebrating the season, if that all makes sense.”
Atkinson credited Indiana’s physicality and execution, acknowledging that the Pacers were the better team throughout the series — including a sweep of all three games in Cleveland.
“They were the better team,” Atkinson said. “Now we got to figure out this last piece, how to get over this hump. And I was quite honestly expecting more, especially coming off the [first-round] Miami series.”
What Comes Next
The Cavaliers now enter a pivotal offseason with a talented but expensive roster and limited flexibility. The front office doubled down on its core group last summer, firing J.B. Bickerstaff but keeping the roster intact. The midseason trade for De’Andre Hunter pushed Cleveland into second-apron territory, complicating any potential moves. Then, Mobley earning Defensive Player of the Year pushed them over that line, adding complications for potential roster moves.
Despite the disappointment, Mitchell’s message remained rooted in belief.
“We let the city down, let each other down,” he said. “We’ll be back.”
As the sting of the loss lingers, the Cavaliers are left to reckon with a harsh truth: regular-season dominance no longer earns benefit of the doubt. The question moving forward is whether this core — bruised and battle-tested — can take the next step when it matters most.
