Cavaliers' Mitchell extends NBA-record streak of 30-point games to 9 in series openers

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell has more support on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster going into this year's postseason run. But even with the deeper roster, Mitchell still has the mentality of delivering the statement in the first game of a series. The All-Star guard did that again Saturday afternoon with a game-high 32 points in the Cavaliers' 126-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

It is an NBA-record nine straight games in which Mitchell has scored at least 30 points in a series opener. “It’s not something like I’m searching for,” said Mitchell of trying to put up at least 30 to start a series. “It’s just something that I’m playing my game.

Just trying to set a tone of aggression by getting downhill, taking the open shots, taking what’s given to me and obviously making the defense have to react. ” Mitchell’s streak began with the Utah Jazz during the 2020 playoffs — held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, during the COVID-19 pandemic — when he scored 57 points against the Denver Nuggets. That remains a Jazz playoff record and the third-highest-scoring performance in NBA postseason history.

Mitchell is 5-4 during this run in series openers, including 3-3 with Cleveland since coming over in a trade from Utah in September 2022. James Harden, who was acquired from the LA Clippers in a trade-deadline shocker, helped settle the Cavaliers during a close first half, but it was Mitchell and Max Strus who helped deliver the knockout blows to the Raptors in the second half. Mitchell had 13 points in the first half to Harden's 15 as the Cavaliers were up 61-54 at halftime.