Donovan Mitchell ties NBA record for most second half playoff points

Donovan Mitchell (YouTube)

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons are tied at two games apiece in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Pistons won their two games at home by scores of 111-101 and 107-97, before the Cavaliers won their two games at home by scores of 116-109 and 112-103.

All the talk at the moment has been the play of Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell of Elmsford, New York. On Monday night in game four in the best out of seven series, Mitchell had a half for the ages. He had 39 points in the second half. That is tied for the most points in the second half by one player in NBA history.

The only other player to score 39 second half points in a NBA game was Eric Floyd of Gastonia, North Carolina. He accomplished the feat for the Warriors in a 129-121 Golden State Warriors win over the Los Angeles Lakers in game four of the Western Conference semifinals on May 10, 1987. Floyd finished the game with 51 points, and Mitchell finished the game with 43 points.

On Monday, Mitchell made 12 of 18 second half field goals, three of seven second half three point shots, and 12 of 13 second half free throws. He scored 65% of the Cavaliers total points in the half.

Three times Mitchell has had 50 points or more in a postseason game. He had a career high 57 points for Utah in a 135-125 Utah Jazz overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets on August 17, 2020 in game one of the Western Conference quarterfinal series in the Orlando bubble. Mitchell then had 51 points in game four of that same series, a 129-127 Utah win. Mitchell then had 50 points in a 103-96 Cavaliers loss to the Orlando Magic in game six of the 2024 Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.