Report: Donovan Mitchell had repeated message for Evan Mobley inside ‘hushed’ Cavs locker room after Game 3

The Cleveland Cavaliers endured a disappointing 106-93 loss at home to the Boston Celtics on Saturday, and their locker room was apparently subdued after the game.

However, Donovan Mitchell could be heard encouraging Evan Mobley, repeatedly imploring the third-year big man to be more aggressive, presumably in the following meetings.

“In the hushed postgame locker room, Cavs star Donovan Mitchell grabbed Evan Mobley’s attention from two stalls away and offered some advice,” Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com wrote.

“We need you to be aggressive. Keep being aggressive.

“Mitchell must have repeated that same term nearly 10 times, trying to make the talented youngster understand how important he is to Cleveland’s success in this Eastern Conference semifinal series — and beyond.”

Trailing 2-1 in the series, the Cavs have to treat Game 4 as a must-win affair. If they lose at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Monday, they will head back to Boston down 3-1. Only 13 teams have recovered from a 3-1 deficit in NBA playoff history. On the other hand, 272 squads have won a series after going up 3-1.

As Mitchell pointed out, Mobley will have to provide Cleveland with additional help from hereon. The Saturday loss saw the five-time All-Star carry a huge offensive load, recording 23 of his 33 points in the first half before aggravating his left knee injury in the fourth quarter.

Mobley added 17 points but had only 11 field-goal attempts throughout the night.

It was a bit of a letdown after his Game 2 performance when he finished with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds. His aggression on Thursday night helped the Cavs record a 118-94 road victory over the top-seeded Celtics.

It’s unclear what exactly changed for the former No. 3 pick. Boston did change its defensive strategy to limit his effectiveness. Mobley is also reportedly dealing with a “badly sprained” ankle.

Hopefully, Mobley can indeed be more aggressive beginning with the fourth match in the series.

However, other Cavs players might also have to heed Mitchell’s message.

The one-time All-NBA selection has been stellar in the conference semifinals, averaging 31.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per contest while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from beyond the arc. As for Mobley, the 22-year-old has put up 18.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per match on a 63.2 percent shooting clip.

Unfortunately, their teammates, including Darius Garland and Max Strus, have been subpar so far.