Donovan Mitchell sizzled in his first NBA Playoffs game in Cleveland Cavaliers threads. He even set a new franchise postseason record with the 38 points he generated in Game 1 of their first-round series at home versus the New York Knicks Saturday night.
Via ESPN Stats & Info:
“Despite the loss, Donovan Mitchell sets the Cavaliers playoff debut scoring record with 38 points. He is also the 1st player to score 30+ points in 20 of his first 40 playoff games since Allen Iverson.”
Donovan Mitchell is always going to be the go-to guy for the Cavs in the playoffs, and he did not disappoint in the series opener against the Knicks, albeit in a 101-97 loss. Mitchell shot 14-for-30 from the field with six 3-pointers to go with five rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and even a block in 44 minutes of time on the floor. He can expect a heavy workload for the rest of the series, but he’s also going to need more from his teammates if Cleveland is to avoid getting buried in a deeper hole by the Knicks. Evan Mobley only had eight points in Game 1 on a salty 4-for-13 shooting from the field, while Cleveland’s bench came up with just 14 points, while New York’s relievers produced a total of 37 points.
Mitchell poured in 14 of his total points in the fourth period but his effort was not enough to tow the Cavs to a victory.
He will try again in Game 2 this Tuesday, with Cleveland hoping to tie the series before the matchup shifts to the Big Apple for Games 3 and 4.