Donovan Mitchell scores 71: what are the best scoring performances in NBA history?

Wow! Monday night gave us another display for the record books. Take a bow Donovan Mitchell, who led his Cleveland Cavaliers to a 145-134 triumph over the Chicago Bulls with a personal contribution of 71 points scored. ‘How often has this score been achieved by an individual in the NBA?’ I hear you ask. Well, let’s have a look.

Is Mitchell the highest scorer for Cavaliers?

The short answer is ‘yes’. Prior to Monday night, two Cleveland players led the way, namely LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, each having scored 57 points in a game for the Cavs in 2015 and 2017, respectively. Incredibly, Mitchell’s previous regular season high was 46 points, although he did notch up 57 and 51 against the Denver Nuggets in the Utah Jazz’s 2020 playoff series.

After getting fouled with three seconds left in the fourth quarter and down by three, Mitchell also delivered in a crucial situation to force overtime. He made the first of his two free throws, but missed the second. After grabbing his own offensive rebound, he made the game-tying shot. His stats make impressive reading: 22 of 34 field goals, seven of 15 three-pointers and 20 of 25 free throws.

That saw him contribute 99 of the Cavaliers’ 145 points, with a record 11 assists for 70+ points adder, putting him second on the all-time list after Wilt Chamberlain’s 104 in 1962, scoring an unbelievable 100 himself.

How many NBA players have scored over 70 points?

Mitchell is one of only a handful of players to hit the 70-point plateau, along with Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, David Thompson, and Devin Booker. Below you can see where he ranks.