Back when Sam Merrill starred at Utah State, scoring over 2,000 points and burying 300 triples, he planned a pre-summer getaway from Logan, just 90 minutes away.

The Utah native always loved the Jazz. His NBA team, and its new star, meant something to him. So in the middle of his offseason workouts, he made the drive to Salt Lake City to watch Donovan Mitchell’s first playoff run in person back in 2018.

“I went to a couple playoff games his rookie year,” Merrill said. “I was at his first game.”

The Jazz won that series in six against the Oklahoma City Thunder, only to be bounced by Houston in the next round.

It began a decade-long playoff odyssey for Mitchell, who always came close but could never break through to the conference finals.

That is, until Merrill showed up.

Now Mitchell’s wingman in Cleveland, Merrill poured in 23 points to lift the Cavs over a pesky Detroit team in Game 7 on Sunday. Mitchell is going to the conference finals for the first time, exhaling that he can “finally breathe” again.

And it’s in no small part because of the onetime fan who just wanted to see Mitchell’s rookie season in person.

“We talk about [Cavs guard] Max Strauss being a maniac, Sam is quietly right there,” Mitchell said. “You just want him on the floor. I got into it with [head coach] Kenny [Atkinson] when he took him out, ‘Man, we need him on the floor.’”

The Merrill-Mitchell relationship has steadily grown since the Utah days. In 2022, he played on the Charge, Cleveland’s minor league affiliate, and the team would practice in the same facility as the Cavs.

“Generally, we would [practice] after them. One time, I was out there early shooting, after they were finished, and sitting on the side. And [Mitchell] came up to me and we talked,” Merrill said. “We had known each other from Utah. But he didn’t have to do that. He’s just been such a great dude.”

Maybe Mitchell sensed it, too, that one day the 6-foot-5 sharpshooter would be the antidote to his playoff pain.

Ever since he got to Cleveland, Merrill’s role steadily increased from eight points a night to almost 13. His defensive assignments became more impactful and his minutes crept up. His place on an NBA roster became more and more secure.

It led to the moment where Merrill couldn’t come off the floor as Cleveland’s future hung in the balance.

The Cavs went all in for a playoff run this season, trading for star James Harden and mortgaging the future. If they couldn’t break through with all that firepower, it might require a reset.

To brace for the moment, Atkinson thought he’d throw everything at the Pistons in Game 7. He planned on going with a deep bench and just searching for a spark. Instead, he ended up just playing Merrill 25 minutes. “They were rolling,” Atkinson said with a shrug. No need for any emergency plan.

“You need a Sam Merrill game,” Atkinson said. “This will go down as the Sam Merrill, Jarrett Allen games. He was unbelievable. I thought we weren’t rolling until he came in. His threes opened it up and he took the charge on [Piston guard Ausar] Thompson.”

When it was over, Merrill shot 62% from 3-point territory and nearly had his tooth knocked out taking a charge from Thompson. The Cavs outscored Detroit by 22 points with Merrill on the floor, setting up a date with the New York Knicks for a spot in the NBA finals.

Merrill, who missed almost 30 games this year with various injuries from hamstrings to illness, delivered.

“He’s a fighter,” Mitchell said. “I’m glad he has moments like this where the world can see it. A lot of times, it gets overlooked. And he does it whether it’s a hamstring, ankle, sickness, birth of his kid. He’s like, ‘Man, I don’t care, I’m here with you guys.’ I’ve seen him his whole career and the growth as a player, it’s huge.”

Now in Madison Square Garden, the two Utah men will try to rewrite their poor playoff memories from the Delta Center.

This time, though, it will be as equals. Merrill no longer needs a ticket and a drive to see Mitchell play.