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Donovan Mitchell seemed to disappear in the first half Monday, May 11 as the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the Detroit Pistons in Game 4 of the conference semifinals.
Then the seven-time All-Star completely took over in the second half with an explosive scoring display to propel the Cavaliers to a 112-103 victory, tying the series 2-2.
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Mitchel scored 39 points in the second half to tie the all-time NBA playoff record for most points in a half. The Golden State Warriors’ Eric “Sleepy” Floyd set the record on May 10, 1987, against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Mitchell could not find the basket in the first half, shooting just 1-for-8 and tallying just four points as the Pistons took a 56-52 lead into the locker room. But the guard nicknamed “Spida” emerged as an entirely different player after the break.
Mitchell went from couldn’t make to couldn’t miss in the third quarter. He scored 21 points in the period, making 8-of-9 field goals, draining two of three 3-pointers and knocking down all three of his free throw attempts.
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His scoring tear continued in the fourth with 18 points, shooting 4-of-9 from the field (1-for-4 on 3-pointers) and hitting 9 of 10 free throws.
Mitchell said he apologized to his team at halftime for his low output and his decision-making.
“I set the tone in Game 3 (a 116-109 Cleveland win), came downhill in transition, and I don’t think I did that one time in the first half. So, I came in and told the guys, ‘That’s on me.’ So, I tried to make a statement in the second half.”
Cleveland began the third period on a 23-0 run, largely spurred by Mitchell, but he credited the game plan and the team for the second-half surge.
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“Just continue to play together and continue to move the ball, so that’s where it starts. I was also able to get into the paint. We did a great job of getting everybody involved in the second half.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donovan Mitchell leads Cavaliers past Pistons, ties NBA playoff record
