When the Cleveland Cavaliers needed a hero, Donovan Mitchell stepped up and delivered in superstar fashion.

With the Miami Heat threatening to tie up the series after clawing back from a 19-point deficit, Mitchell took matters into his own hands late in the fourth quarter. Scoring eight straight points for Cleveland, he helped secure a 121-112 victory on Wednesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, giving the Cavaliers a commanding 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

“I love the fact the game happened like this. We had to really find a way as a group and then we responded,” Mitchell said following the win. “I kept trying to find the mismatch and make a play.”

The veteran guard finished with 30 points—17 of those coming in the fourth quarter—alongside six rebounds and six assists. It marked Mitchell’s 27th career playoff game with at least 30 points, further cementing his reputation as one of the NBA’s premier postseason performers.

Miami had trimmed the Cavaliers’ sizable lead to just two points with 3:11 remaining, after trailing by 19 late in the third quarter. But Mitchell quickly answered, first with a step-back floater and then a dagger three-pointer following a clutch steal by Jarrett Allen. That sequence reignited the Cavs and ultimately sealed the win.

“He’s a superstar for a reason,” said Miami’s Davion Mitchell, who contributed 18 points. “It’s kind of like there is nothing you can do in the NBA sometimes when someone is hitting tough shots like that.”

Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson echoed the sentiment, praising Mitchell’s poise and leadership in the game’s most critical moments.

“I’m proud of the guys for holding our composure. It helps when you have Donovan Mitchell. It was one of those ‘superstar takes over’ games,” Atkinson said.

Cleveland also made history on the night, setting an NBA playoff record with 11 three-pointers in the second quarter alone, finishing with 22 for the game—tied for sixth-most in league playoff history. Evan Mobley added 20 points and Darius Garland chipped in 19 as the Cavs’ offense caught fire early and often.

Despite the loss, Miami’s Tyler Herro put on a show of his own, scoring a game-high 33 points. The Heat came alive late in the third quarter, using a 25-8 run to claw their way back into contention. Davion Mitchell led that charge with 12 points during the stretch, while Herro and Nikola Jovic each added five.

“We lost the game. I don’t think there are any moral victories, to be honest,” Herro said. “We can’t have lapses where we’re not fully engaged. We’ve got to get that cleaned up or we’ll be down 3-0.”

Miami started strong with a 16-7 lead, but Cleveland quickly responded and ended the first quarter up 25-24. A second-quarter surge, powered by five threes—including two each from Max Strus and Sam Merrill—helped the Cavaliers pull ahead by double digits.

The Cavaliers appeared to be cruising after a thunderous dunk from De’Andre Hunter put them up 93-74 with just over two minutes left in the third. But as playoff games often go, the momentum shifted.

Still, Cleveland held firm, and their playoff-tested star made sure the home crowd went home happy.

Game 3 shifts to Miami on Saturday afternoon, where the Heat will look to avoid a daunting 3-0 series hole.