Mitchell scores 30 points, Cavaliers hold off Heat 121-112 to take 2-0 lead in NBA playoff series

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell delivered when the Cleveland Cavaliers needed him most.

After the Miami Heat seized momentum and appeared on the verge of possibly tying the series, Mitchell took over. He scored Cleveland's next eight points and the Cavaliers held on for a 121-112 victory on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

“I love the fact the game happened like this. We had to really find a way as a group and then we responded,” said Mitchell, who led Cleveland with 30 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter. “I kept trying to find the mismatch and make a play.”

It was the 27th career playoff game with at least 30 points for Mitchell, who also had six rebounds and six assists.

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

The Cavaliers had a 19-point lead with under 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter before the Heat made their run to get within 105-103 lead with 3:11 left.

Mitchell responded on the ensuing trip by driving and making a step-back floater to put the Cavs up by four.

After Jarett Allen made a steal on a bad pass by Miami's Nikola Jovic, Mitchell buried a 3-pointer to give momentum back to the Cavaliers, along with some breathing room.

“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,” coach Kenny Atkinson said.

The top-seeded Cavaliers set an NBA playoff record with 11 3-pointers in the second quarter and had 22 for the game, tied for sixth most. Evan Mobley had 20 points and Darius Garland 19 for Cleveland.

Tyler Herro scored 33 points for Miami, which hosts Game 3 on Saturday afternoon.

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

Miami had a 16-7 lead before the Cavs rallied and went up 25-24 at the end of the first quarter.

Cleveland held a 33-30 lead before taking control with a 17-4 run that included five 3-pointers, with two apiece by Max Strus and Sam Merrill.

De'Andre Hunter's dunk with 2:33 remaining in the third quarter gave the Cavaliers a 93-74 advantage before the Heat made their charge with 10 straight points. That started a 25-8 run that saw the Heat get within a basket. Davion Mitchell scored 12 during the rally, with five points apiece by Herro and Nikola Jovic.

“We knew it was going to be a full game. When they threw that punch in the fourth quarter I think everyone locked in,” Mobley said.

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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives against Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic, right, in the second half in Game 2 of an NBA first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) goes up for a dual in front of Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) and center Kel'el Ware, center, in the first half in Game 2 of an NBA first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots between Miami Heat's Tyler Herro (14), Haywood Highsmith (24), Bam Adebayo (13) and Nikola Jovic (5) in the second half in Game 2 of an NBA first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) gestures in the second half in Game 2 of an NBA first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) is defended by Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) in the first half in Game 2 of an NBA first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) is defended by Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade, right, in the first half in Game 2 of an NBA first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) congratulates teammate Sam Merrill (5) after Merrill hit a three point basket in the first half in Game 2 of an NBA first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware, left, dunks over Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) and forward Evan Mobley, right, in the first half in Game 2 of an NBA first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) reaches for a rebound between Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, left, and center Bam Adebayo (13) in the first half in Game 2 of an NBA first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) shouts in front of Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) and forward Nikola Jovic (5) after hitting a three-point basket in the first half in Game 2 of an NBA first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — NATO foreign ministers on Thursday debated an American demand to massively ramp up defense investment to 5% of gross domestic product over the next seven years, as the U.S. focuses on security challenges outside of Europe.

At talks in Antalya, Turkey, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that more investment and military equipment are needed to deal with the threat posed by Russia and terrorism, but also by China which has become the focus of U.S. concern.

“When it comes to the core defense spending, we need to do much, much more,” Rutte told reporters. He underlined that once the war in Ukraine is over, Russia could reconstitute its armed forces within three to five years.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio underlined that “the alliance is only as strong as its weakest link.” He insisted that the U.S. investment demand is about “spending money on the capabilities that are needed for the threats of the 21st century.”

The debate on defense spending is heating up ahead of a summit of U.S. President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts in the Netherlands on June 24-25. It's a high-level gathering that will set the course for future European security, including that of Ukraine.

In 2023, as Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine entered its second year, NATO leaders agreed to spend at least 2% of GDP on national defense budgets. So far, 22 of the 32 member countries have done so.

The new spending plan under consideration is for all allies to aim for 3.5% of GDP on their defense budgets by 2032, plus an extra 1.5% on potentially defense-related things like infrastructure — roads, bridges, airports and seaports.

While the two figures add up to 5%, factoring in infrastructure and cybersecurity would change the basis on which NATO traditionally calculates defense spending. The seven-year time frame is also short by the alliance’s usual standards.

Rutte refused to confirm the numbers under consideration, but he acknowledged that it's important to include infrastructure in the equation, “for example to make sure that bridges, yes, are there for you and me to drive our cars but also if necessary to make sure that the bridge will hold a tank. So all these expenditures have to be taken into account.”

It’s difficult to see how many members would reach a new 3.5% goal. Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Italy, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain are not even spending 2% yet, although Spain does expect to reach that goal in 2025, a year past the deadline.

The U.S. demand would require investment at an unprecedented scale, but Trump has cast doubt over whether the U.S. would defend allies that spend too little, and this remains an incentive to do more, even as European allies realize that they must match the threat posed by Russia.

Europe-wide, industry leaders and experts have pointed out challenges the continent must overcome to be a truly self-sufficient military power, chiefly its decades-long reliance on the U.S. as well as its fragmented defense industry.

“There is a lot at stake for us,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said. He urged his NATO partners to meet the investment goals faster than the 2032 target "because we see the tempo and the speed, how Russia generates its forces now as we speak.”

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said his country should reach 2.5% by 2027, and then 3% by the next U.K. elections planned for 2029.

“It’s hugely important that we recommit to Europe’s defense and that we step up alongside our U.S. partners in this challenging geopolitical moment where there are so many precious across the world, and particularly in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.

As an organization, NATO plays no direct security role in Asia, and it remains unclear what demands the Trump administration might make of the allies as it turns its attention to China. The last NATO security operation outside the Euro-Atlantic area, its 18-year stay in Afghanistan, ended in chaos.

Cook reported from Brussels, and Fraser from Ankara, Turkey.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte talks to journalists as he arrives for a NATO's informal meeting of foreign ministers in Antalya, southern Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy talks to journalists as he arrives for a NATO's informal meeting of foreign ministers in Antalya, southern Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

NATO foreign ministers pose for a group photo during their informal meeting in Antalya, southern Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan talks to journalists as he arrives for a NATO's informal meeting of foreign ministers in Antalya, southern Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, talks to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during an informal meeting of NATO's foreign ministers in Antalya, southern Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte talks to journalists as he arrives for NATO's informal meeting of foreign ministers in Antalya, southern Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint press statement with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio departs a lunch between President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the Amiri Diwan in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)