The Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 5-3 on Wednesday night, topping the Philadelphia 76ers 132-121 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse behind a landmark outing from guard Donovan Mitchell.
The 27-year-old poured in 46 points while hitting 15 of 21 shots (71.4 percent), draining six three-pointers and converting all 10 free throws. He also handed out eight assists. According to Hoops Wire, the combination of at least 45 points on 70 percent shooting, eight assists and 10 made free throws without a miss has been recorded only twice in NBA history—by Michael Jordan in 1989 and now by Mitchell.
Through eight games, Mitchell is averaging 31.9 points and shooting nearly 58 percent from the field, numbers the Cavaliers hope will propel them deeper into the postseason after last year’s 4-1 second-round loss to the Indiana Pacers despite finishing with the Eastern Conference’s best record.
Expectations remain elevated in Cleveland. League chatter suggests president of basketball operations Koby Altman could consider major roster adjustments if the current core again falls short, though Mitchell’s early-season surge has reinforced the club’s aspirations amid slow starts by other East contenders.
Source: Hoops Wire
