Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Donovan Mitchell went on a record-tying second-half scoring spree as the Cleveland Cavaliers bagged a series-leveling 112-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals on Monday. Mitchell erupted for 39 points in the second half before finishing with 43 points, five rebounds, and two assists while James Harden added 24 points as the Cavs knotted the best-of-seven series at 2-2 in front of a packed Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
It was the third consecutive game where Mitchell has scored 30 points or more, a run of form that has helped Cleveland climb out of a 0-2 hole to square the series. Mitchell’s 39-point display in the second half also tied the NBA record for most points in a single half of a postseason game, set by Golden State’s Eric Floyd in 1987.
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Mitchell said he had apologized to his teammates at the break after a lackluster first-half performance. “I was trying to set the tone on offense, and I didn’t do that in the first half. I came in at half-time and told my guys, ‘It’s on me’,” Mitchell said. “I tried to make a statement in the second half.”
Detroit had looked ready to take a 3-1 advantage in the early exchanges, battling into a 56-52 lead at the half. But seven-time NBA All-Star Mitchell took over with a virtuoso third-quarter performance, scoring 21 points in the third as Cleveland launched a jaw-dropping 25-0 run to turn the game on its head, moving into a 75-58 lead that would ultimately prove decisive.
Mitchell kept the points flowing in the fourth quarter, adding 18 more points as Detroit struggled to respond to the onslaught, with Cade Cunningham restricted to just seven points in the third and fourth quarters. Most Valuable Player contender Cunningham finished with 19 points, while Caris LeVert led the Pistons’ scoring with 24 from the bench.
The series now heads back to Detroit for game five on Wednesday. “They protected their home court and we did the same thing, so now we’ve got to go and get one,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got to go and bring the same energy and intensity.”
© 2024 AFP
