Donovan Mitchell Joins Elite Company in Cleveland Cavaliers Win Over Orlando Magic

Donovan Mitchell has been everything the Cleveland Cavaliers could have hoped for since they pried him from the Utah Jazz before the regular season, and he's only getting better with the playoffs approaching. With his 43 points in Tuesday's 117-113 win over the Orlando Magic, Mitchell notched his fourth straight game with 40+ points, a feat only ever accomplished by James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Kobe Bryant.

Donovan Mitchell is only the 4th player over the last 25 seasons to record 4 straight 40+ point games. He joins:

James Harden (2018-19)
Russell Westbrook (2016-17)
Kobe Bryant (6 different times) pic.twitter.com/JlZ1u6Bhpv
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) April 5, 2023

Mitchell has also been highly efficient over his hot streak, hitting 60 of his 104 field goal attempts for a stellar .577 field goal percentage. His success also goes way beyond this recent stretch: for the season, Mitchell has averaged career highs in points per game (28.3) and true shooting percentage (.614).

Mitchell's evolution into an even more effective star since joining the Cavaliers is a big reason why they're poised to finish with the Eastern Conference's fourth seed and their best record since the days of LeBron James. Their 50-30 record is their best since the 2017-18 squad that made the Finals, and their +5.32 point differential this season trails only the Boston Celtics. They're one of the NBA's most surprising (and slept-on) contenders.

The Cavaliers have only two games remaining on their schedule. They visit the Magic yet again for a rematch on Thursday night, and they'll host the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday afternoon for their regular season finale.