Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell scored franchise-record 71 points against Chicago Bulls in 143-134 OT win on Monday; Mitchell joins Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant in achieving similar feat.
Tuesday 3 January 2023 10:29, UK
Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell matched NBA greats like Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant after he racked up a franchise-record 71 points against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, with his coach describing it as "one of the greatest performances in the history of the game".
"I'm speechless and blessed to be in the company of that greatness," Mitchell said. "I always believed I could be one of the best players in the league".
Mitchell has been in MVP form this season ever since returning from an ACL injury that sidelined him from achieving peak form in last year's playoff finals. He finally appears to be back, in both ability and skill.
Monday night's performance encapsulated that. He was ruthless within the paint, outside of it, on threes, free throws, simply too hot for the Bulls defense to handle.
In doing so, he becomes the seventh player to join the 70-point club - Chamberlain did it six times, with Bryant, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson and Devin Booker reaching the figure once apiece.
To be in the same conversation as some of the greatest NBA players to ever grace the court had Mitchell "humbled". He couldn't quite believe it when he was told by reporters in the postgame news conference that he had joined that esteemed list of legends.
"I'm speechless," he stated. "For me, not only did I do that, being in the same place as them, but I did it with an effort when we came back and won and it's how we won. It's nuts."
To everyone who has seen Mitchell play in the last 18 months, it's been coming, but witnessing it live is something else - a school of thought echoed by Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
"We were treated tonight to one of the greatest performances in the history of the game. Every single play that he made was a play that was necessary," he said.
"Donovan has never put himself above the team, so how can you not root for a guy like that? I told everyone else to get out of the way."
The Cavs will hope this performance puts him in pole position to start in February's 72nd All-Star clash in Salt Lake City, and perhaps more telling, at the helm of the franchise as they attempt to seal passage to the playoff finals.
Before that, however, they will take on a Phoenix Suns side without Booker on January 5.
