NBA Top Five Performances, March 23: Donovan Mitchell’s 31 Points in Win Over Brooklyn Nets Leaves Miami Heat in Control Of Playoff Destiny
TOP PLAYERS OF THE DAY:
The Cleveland Cavaliers inched closer to clinching a playoff spot with a win against the Brooklyn Nets Thursday night. The Cavaliers’ late-game victory came behind another superstar performance from Donovan Mitchell, who ended the night with 31 points, including five in the fourth quarter. Even after missing the game-tying free throw, Mitchell grabbed the rebound to keep the play alive, leading to an eventual winner by Isaac Okoro.
“There’s just so much going on,” Mitchell said. “At the end of the day, all we can do is control what we can control and win these games instead of praying that other teams lose or win. We just gotta go out there and do what we do, and it’s great to have a win like this tonight.”
This win temporarily puts the Miami Heat above the Nets for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Nets go to Miami Saturday night for a highly-anticipated game.
OTHERS:
- Despite the loss, Nets forward Mikal Bridges had 32 points and six rebounds.
- Paolo Banchero’s 21-point performance led the Orlando Magic in handing the New York Knicks a third consecutive loss.
- Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers avenged their Tuesday night loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with a blowout win. Leonard had 32 points on 13 of 15 shooting.
- Brandon Ingram’s first career triple-double led the New Orleans Pelicans to victory against the Charlotte Hornets. Ingram had 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jayden.armant@bison.howard.edu or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
