Mitchell and the Cavs struggled against the sheer physicality of the reigning champs, resulting in Sunday's loss.
From his own perspective, Donovan Mitchell openly admitted that the Oklahoma City Thunder are getting away with uncalled fouls.
Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell
MIN: 33.43
PTS: 29 (57.26%)
REB: 4.44
AS: 5.92
ST: 1.5
BL: 0.29
TO: 3.13
GM: 52
But the Cleveland Cavaliers star would rather focus on what they can control instead of the officials' judgment and game management.
"I mean, yeah, they foul," Mitchell told reporters after their 121-113 Sunday loss in Oklahoma City. "Like, there's no secret to that, they foul.
"But, you know, at the end of the day, it's been a season and a half, two seasons. What are we gonna do? Keep saying the same thing, but they're not calling it, so. Yeah, they foul, but they're not calling it, so it's not a foul, you know what I'm saying?"
The Cavs saw their seven-game win streak snapped by the Thunder, who played sensational despite missing franchise stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.
Mitchell, on his end, struggled throughout the game, enduring Lu Dort's highly physical and disruptive defense that forced him to just 20 points in 9-of-19 shooting.
Despite being the defending champs, the Thunder are significantly criticized from officiating. As Gilgeous-Alexander continues to draw flak for securing many foul calls from the opponents, many are also disgruntled about how OKC frequently evades whistles on the defensive end for their brand of bruising lockdown play.
Ranked at No. 1 in defensive rating this season (106.1), the Thunder are in the middle of the fouls average list among 30 teams with 19.4 per game.
"It's frustrating, and you just can't let it get in your skin," Mitchell said, "Which I think, like I said, we figured out for ourselves."
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