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The player pics are pure gold! lmao

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Still can't get over the play Mitchell made to send the game into OT. Incredible.

Mitchell accounted for, what? 95 points or something. Just crazy

I heard 99 last night. Second all-time to Wilt's incredible 100 point night (104 pts).

Wilt getting off 63 shot attempts in 48 mins is crazy. Nice numbers from the FT line as well.

😯👀

Unreal

Wilt's stat line is crazy. I think it's safe to say that no TWO players will ever combine for 100pts and 25 rebounds. I would almost bet money that no THREE players ever have.

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Good article on Mitchell by Windy.

Road to Donovan Mitchell's 71-point performance vs. Bulls
Brian Windhorst
ESPN Senior Writer

The track at Flamingo Park in South Beach is always two or three degrees hotter than the other tracks in Miami. And in the heat of Friday afternoons in the summer it's usually deserted -- an uncomfortable place to be.

But for eight weeks this summer, there was Donovan Mitchell. Running endless sprints. Mitchell, his trainer David Alexander and a jug of water. Six sprints of 50 meters. Then five of 100 meters. Three at 200 meters. And then, at the end, two lung-busting 400s, the most grueling of them all on a surface that was usually around 100 degrees.

During overtime Monday night in Cleveland, Mitchell grabbed a loose ball and, in his 48th minute of game action, was still faster than everyone on the floor as he raced toward one of his 22 baskets. As he put the final touches on an iconic game, he was simply stronger and quicker than anyone left on his Cleveland Cavaliers team or the Chicago Bulls.

Mitchell's 71 points, 13 of them in an epic overtime session, were the most points scored by a single player in nearly 17 years, since Kobe Bryant's unforgettable 81 against the Toronto Raptors in 2006. There was a seemingly endless line of records left in Mitchell's wake en route to the 143-134 overtime win, but one seemed more relevant than all the others.

The 99 points Mitchell created -- he was the first player in history to have 70 points and 10 assists in a game -- were the second most ever behind the night Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in 1962, per ESPN Stats & Information research. Chamberlain also had two assists that game, meaning his mark of 104 will stand.

Living in the same stratosphere as Chamberlain is akin to breaking a LeBron James record in Cleveland, which Mitchell did in the greatest scoring performance in Cavaliers team history. And Chamberlain didn't perfectly miss a free throw, get the rebound and execute a near-miracle three-point play with three seconds left to force overtime.

"To be there in the record book with guys like Wilt is truly humbling," said Mitchell, his uniform still soaked after teammates doused him with water in celebration. "I'm speechless and blessed to be in the company of that greatness."

Stories of summer workouts are common at the highest levels of the NBA, but last summer wasn't just about building stamina. Mitchell was angry at the end of last season. Angry that the Utah Jazz had a disappointing year. Angry at the talk about relationships with teammates. Angry the team was planning a rebuild that included jettisoning him in hopes for a better future.

He'd watched some of his peers catapult around him. Devin Booker in Phoenix. Ja Morant in Memphis. Jayson Tatum in Boston. Trae Young in Atlanta. These guys were on the All-NBA team, and Mitchell wasn't.

When it became clear his days in Utah were numbered after the Jazz traded Rudy Gobert on July 1, Mitchell canceled plans to join the team for workouts at summer league in Las Vegas and went to Miami instead.

He didn't know where he'd be, maybe he'd even start the year in Utah, but he knew he wanted to come back with a different energy. For those two months, he trained harder than ever before. Even when he took an island vacation, he found a five-star resort that also had a basketball court.

It was a mental, physical and emotional cleansing.

When he showed up in Cleveland in September, just a couple weeks after the stunning trade, the Cavs weren't sure what to expect. They were overjoyed they'd executed the deal to get him, even with the tremendous cost of three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps, but there was a hint of concern over the unknown

Would he really want to be in Cleveland? Would he accept playing alongside another scoring guard like Darius Garland? Would he be a bit of a prima donna after the way things had gone in Utah?

Not only did Mitchell show up in jaw-dropping condition, but his attitude was team-first from Day 1 and has remained that way ever since. It's one of the reasons the Cavs -- desperate for his greatness Monday with Garland and star forward Evan Mobley out because of injury -- celebrated around him on his amazing night.

"Donovan has never put himself above the team, so how can you not root for a guy like that?" Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after he played Mitchell the entire second half and overtime without a break. "We were treated tonight to one of the greatest performances in the history of the game."

When Mitchell ran his final 400 on the last day of training before heading to Cleveland, Alexander clicked the stopwatch and saw 57 seconds. One of Mitchell's best times of the summer. The daily work on his body and his game had prepared him for this type of season.

He's averaging career highs in points and shooting his best-ever percentages on 2s and 3s, and at the foul line. He's one of the league leaders in minutes, carrying the Cavs as Garland continues to deal with injuries and Ricky Rubio works toward his return from a torn ACL.

Ultimately, this season will not be defined in January. The Cavs are trying to make the playoffs for the first time without James since 1998. They haven't won a playoff series without him since 1993. They've been going through an uneven stretch over the past few weeks, and Mitchell was actually in a bit of a slump before his massive showing.

It's the end of the season Mitchell was training for all summer. But he'll always have this one, a game that will be remembered years into the future. And a night when he verified himself as one of the league's best, just in case anyone had questioned it.

"I always believed I could be one of the best players in the league," Mitchell said. "I forced myself into it."

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/st...ric-71-point-performance-was-just-matter

Love to see Mobley hitting the GW shot and Mitchell trusting his teammate enough to pass it off to him to shoot the shot, particularly after Mobley had been having a rough night shooting. This is how the team continues to grow.

That was a brutal game. Neither team could buy a bucket in the first half. The Suns packed the paint and we could not hit a 3. I believe we missed our first 15 3-pt attempts before LeVert nailed one. Mitchell was cold most of the game. I think he was 6 out of 20 or something like that, but he did hit a couple of big shots late. LeVert kept us in the game, but I doubt his shooting percentage was good. The Suns really contested a lot of shots in the paint. We were hoisting up shots while being off balance.

Before the game, Bickerstaff said there might be an emotional hangover. He was correct. Our D kept us in it and the Suns missed some wide-open shots. Mobley was awful until he made the game-winner. We really missed Garland's play-making and scoring.

Tough stretch coming up. I think we have 5 road games in 10 days.

Just checked the box score. I was wrong about LeVert's FG percentage. He was 7 of 11 for the game.

One other note, Neto gets a lot of hate on here, but the guy really provided a spark last night. He played tough D and was 5 of 7 from the field. We were +4 w/him on the floor. Consider the Suns largest lead was 11 and ours was 3.

First half was not a pretty one, that’s for sure

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Markkanen dropped 49 last night. Nice to see him having a great season. That was the only part of "the trade" I cringed at, mostly because I liked the dude so much...

Carry on.

That’s the part of the trade I didn’t like as well. Would have loved to part with Wyndler, Osman, Stevens, or ‘24 1st round pick, not sure it could have gotten done without LM, but wish it had.

yep we took a strength and made it a weakness. but Mitchell, as evidence by Garland once again unable to carry the team tonight, is a huge get. Our defense is so overrated, they destroyed us inside tonight

Neto is not an nba player. And why didn't JB rest Mitchell against the Suns so he could play this game? Dumb decision there.

Nights like tonight are why the Cavs won't be successful until Mobley reaches his potential as well. Because Mobley has not taken a step forward this year this team, without Mitchell, would be lucky to make the play in.

neto will be gone when rubio gets back, but man...can we just end the Windler and Wade experiments.. they aren't going to ever give us anything so stop using roster space for them.. Get some people in here to contribute so you don't run your squad into the ground before ASB

You mentioned than answer, and LM's stat line tells why. We weren't going to get DM for a few picks and scrubs.

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Tough game last night. Denver is freaking loaded. They probably have the best starting 5 in the entire league and Jokic has won the last two MVP's. They have the best record in the Western Conference. I pretty much disagree w/most of what lead and Rish are saying. Not being argumentative, but my takes are different.

--Neto has given the Cavs quality minutes in the last two games.

--Winning this game was going to be tough no matter what. So, I think playing Mitchell in a winnable game [Suns] in which Garland was out made sense since Garland would be back makes sense. You certainly don't want to go 0 and 2 in those games.

--I don't agree that Garland can't close. I've seen him do so too many times. I think he played really hard last night and kept us in it w/his playmaking. His shot was off, but I expected that coming off missing games w/a thumb injury. Having an injured thumb effects how you grip the ball. It bothers your shot. Love has been dealing w/that for awhile now.

--Our bench actually outplayed their bench.

--Mobley had one of his best games of the year.

--Allen was dog-tired from having to guard Jokic. We had no one else who had the physicality to guard him. Mobley is too thin. Lopez is strong, but his feet are bad. Jokic would have destroyed him.

--Speaking of Allen..........the dude reminds me of one of those guys from the 60s. Big fro, maybe wearing a tie-dye shirt, listening to Bob Marley or maybe Maggot Brain by Funkadelic, smoking a blunt...........Oh, I better say that I am not saying that in a negative way.

--I know some of you play/played basketball. lead and Rish among you. Answer this: have you ever made a cross-court passed that ended w/your hand closed in a fist? I never have. Following through w/the fingers is what provides touch and accuracy. And somehow, that fist made contact w/Garland's injured eye. Garland was also kicked in privates by a guy who actually threw his leg back. His thumb was hacked repeatedly and Bickerstaff actually addressed that in his post-game PC. I would have contemplated putting in Lopez just to take out one of those dudes. Not anything that result in an injury, but enforcers have been a part of the basketball forever.

Neto is really bad Vers. He should not be on an NBA team. He's a negative on both sides of the floor. You basically have no chance if he is getting significant minutes.

On a separate note, could you imagine guys resting in the 80s and 90s? The whole resting thing just irks me.

In addition, JB doesn't want to stick it to the Cavs fans that paid $200-$500/ticket to come and see Mitchell play for maybe their first time only to have him sitting due to rest and no Garland.

I didn't even think of that.

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I am still curious if any of you hoopsters ever made a pass where you ended up making a fist and somehow "accidentally" hit your opponent in the face? Hell, I've never made a pass where I ended it w/a my hand making a fist. I thought it was a dirty play.

I do agree w/you about resting players. It's hurt the game on many levels, but I guess analytics say it's smart. I don't think it helps the popularity of the game, though.

I didn't see that play but no I don't think that's a natural motion.

On the kick I thought he was just trying to draw a foul. Glad the NBA is cracking down on that stuff.

I can promise, almost all contact I make with an opponent was never accidental..lol. Actually you bring up a good point and I've noticed it quite a bit this year. Its almost like teams are purposely targeting Garland, and Mitchell sometimes.. Mitchell is stronger so it doesn't affect him as much, but teams really have been getting away with stuff against garland. It goes back to having your teammates back. It happened in the lebron era too, noone paid any retribution..always pissed me off. Need to make other teams feel it on their star players if they come after ours.

It helps the popularity of the game at seasons end when players aren't out of gas.

That said, it seems to me that in basketball you can "rest" players and still give them minutes.

Yeah Neto was so bad in Washington. I wasn’t really enthused when he came up here

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Nice win by the Cavs. Defense was putrid for a stretch and JB sat some guys to send a message. It worked. Went on a big run and coasted to a win.

Okoro, shockingly, hit (4) threes.

yeah it was a good win against a team missing its two biggest playmakers, so we def. should have won and did. Everyone chipped in which was good and needs to happen more.

I didn't turn the game on until about half way through the 3rd quarter. Game was tight and then the Cavs just pulled away. Both Brad Daugherty and Austin Carr said that Neto sparked the Cavs to the win. I think the game really changed when Neto and Stevens came in and start D'ing guys up. Garland got hot and that was that against an undermanned Suns team. One other thing.........I never realized what a good defender LeVert is. He has good feet and stays in front of his guy.

I think Bickerstaff is doing a great job. He isn't afraid to get on players. His rotations are pretty sound even though he occasionally sticks w/a group too long at times. But, all coaches are guilty of that. I think he has the player's respect and he generally has the guys playing hard, which is rare in the NBA this time of the year.

I popped for tickets to Cavs v Bulls Feb 11.. it's a 8 pm prime time Saturday night game and I can't wait.. I'm taking my daughter

Bring us home a winner, Saint!

i think I'm going to hit the Magic and heat games this spring. I haven't gone to a game since lebron was in town.. Went to a game with him in orlando and he didn't even play..lol.

Ive got courtside seats to Cavs v Hawks. Front row opposite vistors bench. March 28th. I will be sure to share pics. This is bucketlist for me. My bro is flying down for it.

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Caris LeVert. Barf. What a disastrous 7 point swing on a single possession.

Mitchell remains unreal and Mobley's defense took over until LeVert lost his senses.

Mitchell 25+ points and Cavs +5.5 ATS parlay is a winner.

Yeah. I don't know what happened with LeVert.