Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell had the second half of a lifetime on Monday night to tie the second-round series against the Detroit Pistons.
Mitchell was ice-cold in the first half of Game 4 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. With the Cavs staring down a potential 3-1 hole, Mitchell had just four points on 1/8 shooting from the floor across 19 minutes. He was also getting thoroughly outplayed by Pistons reserve Caris LeVert on both ends of the floor.
DONOVAN MITCHELL AT HALFTIME:
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) May 12, 2026
4 PTS
1/8 FG
19 MIN
CARIS LEVERT AT HALFTIME:
17 PTS
7/12 FG
16 MIN pic.twitter.com/WDFxGnWKfX
Little did every Cavaliers fan in the arena know that Mitchell was about to pull off one of the craziest rope-a-dopes in NBA playoff history.
Mitchell went off for 21 points on 8/9 shooting in the third quarter, missing just one three-pointer in what was a 22-0 Cavaliers run to start the second half.
DONOVAN MITCHELL IN THE 3RD QUARTER:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 12, 2026
21 POINTS
8/9 FGM
2/3 3PM
3/3 FTM
ONLY 7 MINUTES. 🤯🔥 pic.twitter.com/7Z3Ccx6D3Y
Spida kept spinning his web through the fourth quarter. He tacked on 18 more points to give him 39 total after the halftime break. That tied the most points in any half in playoff history, matching Sleepy Floyd’s incredible 39-point half against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987.
Donovan Mitchell's 39 points in the second half are tied for the most points in ANY playoff half in NBA history, alongside Sleepy Floyd in 1987 🕸️🔥 https://t.co/DwrWfulS0k
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) May 12, 2026
Mitchell has developed a reputation as a postseason riser. He added to his lore on Monday night, getting his Cavaliers two games away from the conference finals.
