Donovan Mitchell had himself a night in Game 4 on Monday to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers past the Detroit Pistons, 112-103, and tie their second-round series in the playoffs at 2-2.
Mitchell had Rocket Arena rocking in the second half, scoring 39 points. He finished with 43 points, five rebounds, and two assists. He shot 13-of-26 from the field.
He struggled in the first half, scoring only four points on 1-of-8 shooting.
Mitchell’s 39-point explosion in the second half is the most by any player in any half in the playoffs in the play-by-play era, according to the NBA.
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The seven-time All-Star now has eight 40-point performances in the playoffs, tying Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, and Jimmy Butler.
Mitchell waxed hot in the third quarter, dropping 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting in eight minutes. According to StatMuse, he became only the second player in team history to have a 20-point quarter in the playoffs, joining LeBron James.
James Harden had 24 points, 11 assists, and three steals, while Evan Mobley added 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals, and five blocks.
The Cavaliers have yet to lose at home in the playoffs. They led by as much as 21 points.
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With Mitchell at the forefront, Cleveland went on a 24-0 run to take control of the game after trailing by four points at halftime.
While they did not shoot well, the Cavaliers capitalized on the Pistons 20 turnovers, converting them to 25 points.
Caris LeVert led Detroit with 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting off the bench.
Game 5 returns to Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday.