Audio By Carbonatix
A 70-point game is a rarity in the NBA: just 11 in league history, heading into 2023.
Make it 12. Monday night, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell did the unimaginable, erupting for a career-high 71 points to notch an incredible 145-134 overtime victory against the Chicago Bulls.
He becomes just the seventh player in NBA history to score 70 or more in a game, and the first since Devin Booker in 2017. Mitchell’s total marked the most points in a game by any player since Kobe Bryant’s 81 in January 2006.
Mitchell, who is playing his first season in Cleveland after being traded from Utah during the offseason, set a new scoring record for the Cavaliers, breaking the mark previously co-held by LeBron James and Kyrie Irving (57 points).
The 26-year-old guard looked unstoppable when his team needed him most. After making his first free throw to cut the lead to two with 4.4 seconds left, Mitchell intentionally missed his second attempt, only to grab the miss and hit a layup to tie things up at 130 apiece. Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan looked to silence Cleveland fans at the buzzer but missed a long 3-pointer, leaving overtime to decide the outcome.
Mitchell needed 13 points in the extra period to complete his 71-point outpour. He also finished the game with eight rebounds and 11 assists; no player to score 70 prior had also dished double-digits.
After the game, Mitchell’s teammates were ready to celebrate the epic performance and the victory, dousing him with plenty of water while players from around the league praised his performance from afar on social media.
Latest Stories
-
Dr Abena Nyarkoa to join panel discussion at Africa Together Conference in Cambridge
12 minutes -
Walmart warns US shoppers are cutting spending as higher petrol prices bite
32 minutes -
Flexible exchange rate regime critical in absorbing external shocks – First Deputy Governor
35 minutes -
Toilets and changing rooms must be used on basis of biological sex, guidance confirms
38 minutes -
Emily in Paris to end after sixth season, says Netflix
43 minutes -
Angry crowd sets Ebola hospital tents on fire in DR Congo
58 minutes -
Russia and China condemn US over indictment of former Cuban leader
1 hour -
Bank of Ghana reverts to previous Cash Reserve Ratio policy after scrapping it last year
1 hour -
Ghana-eligible defender Beres Owusu signs permanent deal with Grazer AK
1 hour -
A Super El Niño is coming: What does it mean for Ghana?
2 hours -
Driving Schools Association pushes for mandatory driver training to reduce road crashes
2 hours -
Climate change exists with or without humans — Youth advocate
2 hours -
Plastic waste driving flooding and climate concerns in Bamaahu — Youth Climate Reporter
3 hours -
This week on The Career Trail
3 hours -
My book was born out of university research – Mary Anane Awuku
3 hours