The Cleveland Cavaliers made it a clean sweep over the Chicago Bulls in their two-game double header as they secured a 145–134 victory in overtime at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
Three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell scored an NBA season-high, career-high, and Cavs record with 71 points, along with eight rebounds and a career-high tying 11 assists to become the seventh player in the 70-point club in NBA history.
He finished the game with seven 3-pointers made, 20 of 25 free throws converted and scoring 22 of his 34 field goal attempts.
The Bulls took an 18-point lead into the half, but Mitchell’s 42-point second half—28 in the third and 18 in the fourth quarter—helped the 2016 champions fight back and push the tie into overtime.
The former Utah Jazz guard scored 13 points in overtime to secure his team’s 24th win of the season. Center Jarrett Allen scored 21 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, while Cedi Osman added 19 points off the bench for the Cavaliers.
Mitchell tied the eighth-highest total in league history and scored the most points by an NBA player since Lakers legend Kobe Bryant scored 81 against Toronto in January 2006.
Five-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan’s fourth 40-point or more game this season was not enough to help the Bulls get the win. He finished the game with 44 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals while Zach Lavine (26 points) and Nikola Vucevic (20 points) combined for 46 points.
At the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, 38-year-old LeBron James put on a show for the Los Angeles Lakers as they secured their second straight win with a 121-115 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
James ended the game with a double-double of 43 points and 11 rebounds, along with six assists. Stand-in center Thomas Bryant also got a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds, his fifth this season.
Terry Rozier led the Hornets in scoring with 27 points, while Lonzo Ball added 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists as they slumped to their fourth defeat in five games.
LeBron is currently averaging 29 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game in his 20th season in the NBA.
The Golden State Warriors continued their good run of form in the absence of All-Star duo Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins as they won their fifth consecutive game with a 143-141 double overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Splash brother, Klay Thompson, got a season-high 54 points along with 8 rebounds, and tied a season-high ten 3s made.
Jordan Poole contributed 28 points and 5 assists, while Kevon Looney finished with 14 points and a career-high regular-season record of 20 rebounds.
The Hawks had four players with double-doubles as guard Trae Young led the scoring with 30 points and 14 assists, while John Collins and Dejounte Murray finished with 25 points each along with 13 and 10 rebounds, respectively.
The Warriors have the best home record in the league presently with 17 wins and 2 losses at Chase Center.
The Phoenix Suns suffered their third straight loss without injured star Devin Booker in a 102-83 defeat to the New York Knicks at the Madison Square Garden.
Julius Randle finished with a double-double of 28 points and 16 rebounds, his 20th of the season, as he led the Knicks in scoring for the third game in a row.
Jalen Brunson scored 24 points, and center Mitchell Robinson ended the game with a 10-point and 10-rebound double-double.
The Suns were disappointing again, with Deandre Ayton leading them in scoring with just 12 points as they slipped to eighth in the Western Conference.
Other Results
Indian Pacers 122 – 114 Toronto Raptors
Philadelphia 76ers 120 – 111 New Orleans Pelicans
Brooklyn Nets 139 – 103 San Antonio Spurs
Minnesota Timberwolves 124 – 111 Denver Nuggets
Houston Rockets 106 – 111 Dallas Mavericks
Portland Trail Blazers 135 – 106 Detroit Pistons
Los Angeles Clippers 100 – 110 Miami Heat
