BREAKING: The Indiana Pacers have officially filed a missing persons report. Last seen: Tyrese Haliburton’s offense. Last known location: Game 2. Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell’s playoff bag? Still overflowing.

Game 3 was a full-blown Cleveland comeback party, and Spider Mitchell was the DJ, MC, and headliner. He dropped 43 points, grabbed nine boards, handed out five assists, and turned the Pacers into his personal layup line. The Cavaliers beat Indiana 126-104 on Friday night and finally showed signs of life after stumbling through Games 1 and 2 like a team trying to play basketball underwater.

Let’s be clear: Donovan Mitchell is not playing basketball right now—he’s playing mythology. The man just became the first player in Cavs history not named LeBron Raymone James to score back-to-back 40-point playoff games. Mitchell’s now entered that very exclusive club—and guess who’s back on Indiana’s elimination watchlist?

Let’s break down this absolute masterclass. Mitchell followed up his heartbreaking 48-point Game 2 performance—where the Cavs blew a 7-point lead with under a minute left, which should be illegal in most states—with another gem. This time, he made sure the Cavs didn’t cough it up like your cousin in fantasy football.

The Cavs led wire-to-wire. The second quarter? Carnage. Cleveland unleashed a 25-4 run that made Indiana look like they were trying to guard Mitchell with holograms. By halftime, the Pacers were begging Siri for help: “How do you stop Donovan Mitchell?”

Good luck with that, Siri.

Mitchell’s fourth-quarter closeout? Chef’s kiss. Fourteen points in under seven minutes. Every time Indiana made it semi-close, Mitchell was like, “Aw, cute.” Then casually hit a pull-up three or glided past three defenders like he activated Mario Kart boost pads.

Look, nobody’s saying Donovan is LeBron. But in Game 3, he sure carried the same “get on my back” energy. The only other Cav to go 40+ in back-to-back playoff games? The King himself. And guess which franchise LeBron roasted most frequently in the postseason? Yep. The Indiana Pacers. Five times. Twice as a Cav.

Coincidence? Maybe. But Pacers fans might want to start burning sage and googling “how to stop a Cleveland guard with superpowers.”

Supporting Cast: The Cavalry Arrives (On One Leg Each)

Let’s not overlook who showed up to help Mitchell avoid another one-man band performance. Darius Garland came back with turf toe and immediately reminded fans why he’s the smoothest Cav since Kyrie was doing trick shots in Quicken Loans Arena. He only scored 12 on 5-of-15 shooting, but just having him on the floor made Mitchell’s life easier. Ball movement! Secondary scoring threats! A guy who can dribble without panicking! Incredible stuff.

Then there’s Evan “Defense is My Love Language” Mobley, back from a sprained ankle like it was nothing. He casually posted 18 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, and three steals. Pacers players were scared to go near the paint like it was booby-trapped. Mobley’s return coincided with Indiana posting its lowest point total of the series. That’s not a coincidence—that’s Mobley being the human version of antivirus software.

And let’s give a grizzled golf clap to De’Andre Hunter, back from a dislocated thumb. He didn’t light up the box score, but his length disrupted passing lanes, he snagged five boards, and just his presence on the perimeter meant Indiana couldn’t ignore him like they do Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro. Sorry fellas, but the truth hurts like a missed buzzer-beater.

Max Strus—aka Mr “Heat Culture”—has fully been baptized in Cleveland Wine & Gold. And no, that’s not just a fancier way to say blood, sweat, and tears. Strus followed up his 20-point Game 2 performance with another 20-point game, plus seven rebounds and seven assists. Strus was everywhere. He pestered Haliburton like he was trying to get him to sign up for a credit card.

Mitchell calls him “Heat Culture” for a reason—Strus may hate the nickname, but fans love it. He brings that relentless, nose-to-the-floor grind, and when he’s making plays and yelling on defense like he’s possessed by Udonis Haslem’s ghost (he’s still alive, relax), the Cavs are a different beast.

We don’t want to pile on Ty Jerome, but whew. Through three games of this series, he’s made 10 of 42 shots. That’s 23.8%, folks. That’s not just cold—that’s Antarctica in January, with wind chill. And those numbers don’t even reflect the little implosions from Game 2: the missed box out, the stolen inbound pass, and Haliburton’s game-winner… all featuring Jerome in a starring role.

Nobody’s saying bench him entirely, but maybe… just… reduce his minutes? Let him breathe? Maybe throw on some hoodie Melo highlights and reset his chakras.

Amid all the player drama, let’s not forget Kenny Atkinson just made Cavs history, too. He joined Mike Brown and Bill Fitch as the only Cleveland coaches to ever win Coach of the Year. And guess what? Erik Spoelstra, Jerry Sloan, and Rick Adelman—coaching legends—never won it.

So yeah, Coach Kenny’s in rare air. Whether this playoff run ends in champagne or crying in the locker room, Atkinson’s award isn’t going anywhere. Like he said, “It’s etched forever.” Just like Mitchell’s name in Pacers fans’ nightmares.

Game 4 is coming. The series is alive. The Cavs are back. And Donovan Mitchell? He’s cooking, He’s soaring. He’s doing LeBron things.