Cleveland Cavaliers superstar Donovan Mitchell earned the moniker Mr. 71 points after he dropped a mind-blowing career-high performance against the Chicago Bulls several weeks ago. However, Damian Lillard matched this amazing scoring feat on Sunday night with an absolute explosion as he led the Portland Trail Blazers to a 131-114 blowout win against the Houston Rockets.
By his own admission, the Cavs All-Star now has to outdo Dame’s scoring outburst. This was a challenge that was posted to him by none other than his own loving mother after she saw Lillard’s bonkers performance on Monday night:
Mitchell’s mom was so serious that she even called her son to stake her claim. Based on the timing of his tweet, it also seems like Mitchell’s mother phoned him shortly after Dame’s explosion.
This obviously won’t be an easy task for the Cavs star, though. His 71-point outburst was a once-in-a-lifetime type of achievement, and it will be an enormous challenge for him to try and match that scoring feat. Then again, if there’s anyone who can do it, then it has to be Donovan Mitchell.
For context, only seven players in the history of the game have scored at least 71 points in a single game. Apart from dropping an NBA record 100 points back in 1962, the great Wilt Chamberlain also eclipsed the 71-point mark four times in his career. The late Kobe Bryant once dropped 81 while David Thompson scored 73 back in 1978. Elgin Baylor and David Robinson are also members of the 71-point club.
Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard are just the sixth and seventh players to drop a 71-piece (or more) in the history of the sport, and it’s amazing that they both did it just nearly two months apart.