After losing to the Indiana Pacers in five games, Donovan Mitchell remains optimistic that the Cavs will bounce back stronger.

Donovan Mitchell made a point in going back out onto the court at Rocket Arena minutes after suffering a Game 5 loss to the Indiana Pacers, which eliminated the

The Cavaliers were largely competitive in their second-round series with the Pacers, at least outside of Game 4's blowout, but the playoff margins are razor thin. All it took were a few poorly timed injuries,

The Indiana Pacers fought back from a 19-point, second-quarter deficit to eliminate the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers from the NBA playoffs and reach the Eastern Conference Finals for a second straight year.

The Cleveland Cavaliers now place themselves on the wrong side of history after second-round exit against the Indiana Pacers.

Mitchell, visibly deflated by the postseason exit, said going down 2-0 in the series left them in a precarious situation of having to chase an Indiana team that was brimming with confidence. In the end, the Pacers, which made the conference finals last season, were far more experienced and composed than the Cavs were.

Despite a coaching change, the Cavs ended their season in the same place — Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. So all eyes are on the roster.

Yes, the Cavs had injuries. Darius Garland (toe), Evan Mobley (ankle) and De‘Andre Hunter (thumb) missed games. But all were back on the court for the last three games, even if they weren’t 100% healthy.