ESPN News Services
CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell scored an NBA season-high and franchise-record 71 points — equaling the eighth-most in a game in history — as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from 21 down to beat the Chicago Bulls 145-134 in overtime Monday night.
It was the most points in a game by any player since Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant had 81 points against Toronto on Jan. 22, 2006. Wilt Chamberlain owns the NBA record with 100 for Philadelphia against New York on March 2, 1962, at Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Mitchell scored 13 points in the extra session after forcing OT by grabbing his own intentionally missed free throw and making a circus-shot with 3 seconds left, tying the game at 130-all and breaking the Cavaliers’ record with 58 points.
“Good,” said Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving when told that Mitchell had broken the Cavs’ franchise record (57) previously held by him and LeBron James. “Records are meant to be broken. I’m happy he did. What’s funny about it is … tell Don I shouted him out, but I was on Call of Duty a little bit before the game with Don. We were playing quads, and he was locked in, I could tell. He was locked in.”
In OT, Mitchell poured in 11 points to become the 12th player to score 70. He also had a career-high tying 11 assists and eight rebounds in 50 minutes, setting career highs with 20 free throws made and 25 free throws attempted.
Mitchell scored or assisted on 99 points, the second most in a game in NBA history and the most since Chamberlain’s 100-point game.
The Central Division foes met for the second time in three days. Cleveland was the 103-102 winner at United Center on Dec. 31.
Mitchell entered the new year in an offensive funk, averaging 17.5 points over the previous four games while shooting 32.9% on 73 field goal attempts. He now ranks ninth in the NBA with a 28.0 scoring average.
“A lot of teams are sending a lot more bodies at him, and that’s on us to help him,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It’s on his teammates to recognize they have to make teams pay and make plays.”
Cleveland posted winning records in each of the first three months of the season for the first time since 2016-2017. The latter wrapped up a run of 16 straight winning months with All-Stars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.