Eastern Conference Recap, Jan. 2: Donovan Mitchell Scores Career-High 71 Points Against Chicago Bulls
Donovan Mitchell has made his mark in the history books.
He scored a career-high 71 points for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who beat the Chicago Bulls in overtime 145-134. It was the highest scoring game since Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006. He also had 11 assists while Kevin Love had 12 points and a season-high 17 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan scored 44 points while Zach LaVine had 26.
“I’ve never been witness to a performance like that live.” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We were treated tonight to one of the greatest performances in the history of the NBA.”
OTHER NOTES:
-Klay Thompson scored a season-high 54 points to help the Golden State Warriors beat the Atlanta Hawks in double overtime 143-141. It was his first 50-point game since Oct. 29, 2018 when he scored 52 against the Chicago Bulls. “He just made shot after shot and play after play, he was incredible,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
Kevon Looney made the tip-in to give the Warriors the win, though. He finished with 18 points while Jordan Poole had 28. Trae Young scored 30 for the Hawks.
-The Brooklyn Nets handed the San Antonio Spurs a 139-103 blowout loss, giving them a 12th straight win. It is the Nets’ third longest win streak in franchise history. “I don’t think we really pay attention too much to the streak, we just really want to play well for one another,” Kyrie Irving said. Irving scored 27 points to lead them while Kevin Durant had 25 and 11 rebounds. Keldon Johnson led the Spurs with 22 points.
-LeBron James turned back the hands of time. The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Charlotte Hornets 121-115 while he scored 43 points. It was his second straight 40-point game. He also had 11 rebounds. Terry Rozier scored 27 for the Hornets, who lost their second straight. LaMelo Ball had 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks.
-Joel Embiid continues to make his MVP case. He scored 42 points for the Philadelphia 76ers, who beat the New Orleans Pelicans 120-111. It was his sixth game this season with 40 or more points. He also grabbed 11 rebounds. Zion Williamson scored 26 before leaving the game with a hamstring injury. “That was extremely difficult,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “It was right at a pivotal moment during the game. We'll do some imaging and look at him. Hopefully, he'll be OK.”
-The New York Knicks defeated the Phoenix Suns 102-83, handing the Suns their third straight loss. The 83 points were a season-low for the Suns.
“It is a mind-boggling thing,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “The frustration comes in for us because we’ve been a team that can overcome that when we are not shooting the ball well. Mentally and emotionally, I have to get our guys stronger. We haven’t been able to handle those kinds of lapses this year.”
Julius Randle scored 28 points and Jalen Brunson had 24 in his return from a three-game absence.
-The Indiana Pacers defeated the Toronto Raptors 122-114, earning their fourth straight victory. Seven Pacers scored in double-figures, led by rookie Bennedict Mathurin's 21 off the bench. Gary Trent led the Raptors with 32 points.
-Jerami Grant scored 36 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 135-106 victory against the Detroit Pistons. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 21 points.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog
