Except earthquake, Donovan Mitchell will receive the Player of The Week trophy for the Eastern Conference tonight. We do not see how this reward could escape him as the rear of the Cavaliers has dominated his subject since the start of the regular season. Tonight, against the Knicks, which he thought he would join this summer, he simply had one of his best career games with 38 points and 12 assists. Certainly, he has already scored many more points with the Jazz, but he had never made so many assists in a match.
“This guy is part of the elite in attack” loose JB Bickerstaff. “I wonder what he’s not capable of doing on a pitch? Maybe we’ll find something with time… But since he’s been with us, he’s been phenomenal and he’s been impressing everyone day after day. »
It was first at 3-points that Donovan Mitchell hurt the Knicks, and especially Evan Fournier, very often late. The two have challenged each other for years, even in selection, and the rear of the Cavaliers caused the Frenchman a lot of pain with first five baskets from 3-pointers in the first quarter alone.
All while having the others play since it is Mitchell who runs the game in the absence of Darius Garland. It’s very simple, of Cleveland’s 28 points in the first quarter, he is involved in 23!
“My teammates trust me. My coaches trust me. I don’t want to say that I didn’t have confidence before, but it’s easy to try to fit into a new situation. reacts Donovan Mitchell. “With JB, we had several discussions about being yourself and with the absence of GM (Darius Garland), I have to take on a little more responsibility. I feel like I’ve always been that type of player. I’m just trying to find a way to be the best player I can be, whether it’s scoring, defending, passing, rebounding. »
A fifth game at 30 points or more
Despite this very good Donovan Mitchell, it is the Knicks who will lead the score for a long time. But the former Jazz scorer sounds the revolt with first this counter on Obi Toppin, on the board, since this cutting in order of the defense to go to the dunk. It is on a 4-point action that he equalizes. His last quarter is intense, and he finds in Kevin Love the perfect Lieutenant to overthrow the Knicks.
“He said if we needed him, he was ready to go. I thought we needed him, and he wasn’t going to let us lose this game.” says his coach.
Upon arrival, Cleveland won 121-108, and Donovan Mitchell signed his fifth game at 30 points or more. All with skill: 12 out of 20 on shots, including 8 out of 13 from 3-pointers, with 38 points, 12 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks!
“I try to be a calm presence” he concludes. “I know the eyes will be on me, and the guys will have extra shots and open shots. I am aware that we were not 30 points behind, and that we were there, at three possessions, and that we had to find an answer. Collectively, we did a good job. Personally, in these moments, I try to be a leader, and tonight there was everything, and my teammates always made it easy for me. »
| Donovan Mitchell | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2017-18 | UTH | 79 | 33 | 43.7 | 34.0 | 80.5 | 0.7 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 20.5 |
| 2018-19 | UTH | 77 | 34 | 43.2 | 36.2 | 80.6 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 23.8 |
| 2019-20 | UTH | 69 | 34 | 44.9 | 36.6 | 86.3 | 0.8 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 24.0 |
| 2020-21 | UTH | 53 | 33 | 43.8 | 38.6 | 84.5 | 0.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 26.4 |
| 2021-22 | UTH | 67 | 34 | 44.8 | 35.5 | 85.3 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 0.2 | 25.9 |
| 2022-23 | KEY | 5 | 39 | 47.4 | 40.5 | 88.2 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 4.8 | 6.4 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 4.2 | 0.2 | 31.0 |
| Total | 350 | 34 | 44.1 | 36.1 | 83.4 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 24.0 | |
