NBA Top Five Performances, April 4: Donovan Mitchell Stayed Hot With 43-Point Performance Against Orlando Magic

Donovan Mitchell has been on a four-game tear as the regular season comes to a close.

TOP PLAYERS OF THE DAY:

The end of the season is when fans want to see their stars playing the best basketball. Donovan Mitchell seems to have gotten that memo, after logging his fourth consecutive 40-point performance in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ win over the Orlando Magic. 

Mitchell had 43 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter to lift Cleveland late. He joined James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Kobe Bryant as the only players to have four straight 40-point games in the past 25 seasons.

“The lights are at its brightest,” Mitchell said about playing during this point of the season. “Every possession matters, you play the game to win and play at the highest level. Not to discredit the earlier months, but this time of year, it’s just a different vibe. You understand what’s coming and this is what you worked all summer for. We got a tough task whoever we play in the playoffs, and we gotta be ready every night. I’m just gonna continue to lead by example.”

OTHERS:

- Joel Embiid’s monster 52-point performance catapulted the Philadelphia 76ers above the Boston Celtics, and may have cemented his MVP campaign for this season.

- LeBron James had 37 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ overtime win over the Utah Jazz, including nine in the extra period. This win tied the Lakers with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, temporarily putting them at No. 6 in the conference standings.

- Steph Curry had another star performance with 34 points on 6 of 13 shooting from 3-point range to get the win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

- Jrue Holiday flirted with a triple double in the Milwaukee Bucks’ win over the Washington Wizards, ending the night with 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

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.