Watch: Cavs win again after a missed free throw

After Cleveland came back from eight points down, Mitchell went to the line for game-tying free throws. He made the first, missed the second, but went and got his own rebound. Mitchell missed the tip, got that rebound, and missed another tip. The ball eventually bounced out to Caris LeVert, who found Isaac Okoro in the corner for the game-winning bucket.

It's not the first time Mitchell has grabbed his own free throw miss in a big moment. During his 71-point game in January, Mitchell sent the game to overtime by intentionally missing a free throw and putting back the rebound.

It's a play that rarely works - unless you're Donovan Mitchell. Or Luka Doncic.

The big win may have locked in the four seed and home-court advantage for Cleveland, who is now four games up on the fifth-place Knicks with eight games to play. It also showed off the improved shooting of 22-year-old Isaac Okoro, the young wing who has added the three to his already solid D this season.

Okoro was drafted fifth in 2020 due to his athleticism and defensive potential and in spite of his rough offensive game. But he's picked up his outside shooting in 2023, making 44.1 percent of his three-pointers since January. Okoro's individual numbers aren't eye-popping, but the team's offensive rating is over 130 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor since Feb. 1.

With Mitchell and Darius Garland taking the scoring load, the Cavaliers don't need Okoro to create. They need lockdown defense and a guy who can hit open shots from outside. 

That's why he's been entrenched in the starting lineup since Jan. 4, which also allows Levert to take the scoring sixth-man role off the bench. And his reliable outside shooting also means he can stay on the court to close games 

It's not a surprise that Okoro has emerged as a rotation player. But it is a surprise that the Cavaliers are locking down home-court advantage by missing their free throws.