05/11/26 11:46:00
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05/11 23:45 CDT From 4 points to tying a playoff record with a 39-point half,
Donovan Mitchell flips Game 4 for Cavs
From 4 points to tying a playoff record with a 39-point half, Donovan Mitchell
flips Game 4 for Cavs
By JOE REEDY
AP Sports Writer
CLEVELAND (AP) --- Donovan Mitchell had his worst first half in a playoff game
since joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in September 2022.
No problem. The All-Star guard followed it up with one of the best 24-minute
stretches by a player in NBA playoff history Monday night.
After scoring only four points in the first half, Mitchell responded with 39 in
the second half, tying the NBA playoff record for most points in a half as the
Cavaliers rallied for a 112-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 4 of
their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
"It's pretty impressive. I'm not sure I've seen in the playoffs a turnaround
like that where a guy is struggling and just absolutely turns the switch and
complete opposite of the first half," Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said.
Mitchell equaled Eric "Sleepy" Floyd's record on a free throw with 27.6 seconds
remaining. He had a chance to break the record, set in 1987 when Floyd's Golden
State Warriors faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference
semifinals, but missed his second foul shot.
"Everybody let me know that I missed a free throw to break the record, though,"
Mitchell said. "I will say that, but we're two and two headed to Detroit. That
was what we came home to do and that's all that matters."
Mitchell didn't score until he made a free throw with 4:19 remaining in the
second quarter. He also missed his first six shots from the field before
hitting a 3-pointer from the left corner with 2:48 left in the first half.
Despite Mitchell's early struggles, the Cavaliers only trailed 56-52 at
halftime. James Harden and Evan Mobley both kept Cleveland in the game in the
first half as they combined for 26 points.
"I airball the first layup and was missing shots short," Mitchell said.
"Sometimes it's natural, right? I wasn't really trying to get in there and
force it and then just doubling down on the defensive end, trying to take
whoever I'm guarding, take them out of the equation. I'm not tripping, we were
down four at half.
"I always tell y'all it's not just about the scoring, it's about your overall
impact on the game. And for me, it was just like, ?OK, now I have an
opportunity to try to get downhill' and then started going in."
Mitchell was 12 of 18 from the field in the second half, including three
3-pointers, and was 12 of 13 at the line. Cleveland's previous mark for most
points in a half was 31 by Mitchell in Game 7 of its first-round series against
Orlando in 2024.
Mitchell tied a franchise record for points in a quarter with 21 in the third
as the Cavaliers seized control, outscoring the Pistons 38-21 in the quarter.
He scored 15 during Cleveland's 24-0 run that went from the last 12 seconds of
the first half to the first six minutes of the third quarter.
The 24-0 run was the longest in an NBA playoff game since since Minnesota also
scored 24 straight in Game 6 of its Western Conference semifinal series against
Denver in 2024. It was also the longest spurt by Cleveland in a postseason game
since play-by-play stats were kept in 1997-98. The previous high was 19 in an
Eastern semifinal series contest against Boston.
"Donovan Mitchell was killing us, and that's pretty much it," Pistons center
Paul Reed said.
It was Mitchell's eighth playoff game with at least 40 points, his fourth with
the Cavaliers. He has at least 30 points in three straight games as the series
shifts to Detroit for Game 5 on Wednesday with it even at two games apiece.
Cleveland is still looking for its first road playoff win this season, and will
need at least one if it hopes to make the Eastern Conference finals for the
first time since 2018.
"We've had two good games to build off of, but it's going to be a hostile
environment," Mitchell said. "It's going to be a lot of fun. And I think I know
we're ready for the challenge."
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