Not all 50-point games are created equal, but Donovan Mitchell’s game was exceptional.
The 6-foot-1 Cavaliers star scored 50 points against the Magic’s elite defense in Game 6 of their first-round series.
Unfortunately, they lost 103-96, but Mitchell did everything he could, scoring each of Cleveland’s final 22 points, including all 18 of his team’s points in the fourth quarter.
He scored 36 of his 50 points in the paint.
And this was during a game in which he was briefly sidelined with an apparent knee injury, which clearly impaired his ability to showcase his elite athleticism during his performance.
Mitchell’s 50 points were accomplished efficiently, making 22 of 36 field goal attempts for a 61.1 percent mark.
And his shooting wasn’t enhanced by a disproportionate number of 3-pointers, making just 3 of 9 from deep.
However, he only made 3 of 6 from the free throw line.
“As a preface to this, I would like to give credit to Orlando. This is not an excuse. Credit to Orlando, they beat us.” Mitchell said in the post-game press conference..
The Cavs, other than Mitchell, made 20 of 50 from the field, just 40 percent.
And aside from Mitchell’s inefficiency from deep, they were even worse, hitting just 4-of-19 from downtown.
Game 7 of the series will be played on Sunday, with the winner facing the top-seeded Celtics, who eliminated the eighth-seeded Heat from playoff contention on Wednesday.
