American basketball player Donovan Mitchell made history Tuesday by scoring 71 points, the eighth most points in a game in NBA history, in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 145-134 home overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls.
The New York point guard and Ricky Rubio’s Cavaliers teammate scored the most points scored in an NBA game in 17 years. The last time a higher scoring output was achieved was in January 2006 when Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Toronto Raptors.
«To be in the record books next to a player like Wilt [Chamberlain] humbles me. I always thought he could be one of the best players in the league,» Mitchell said in post-game remarks. Chamberlain currently holds the NBA record for 100 points in a game.
Mitchell saved his team in overtime with four seconds left in the fourth quarter. After an intentionally missed free throw, Mitchell grabbed the rebound and made the basket to tie the score at 130. In overtime, Cleveland’s leader scored 13 of his team’s 15 points. The Cavs earned their 24th win of the season despite trailing by 21 points at times.
SOURCE: (EUROPA PRESS)
