In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Detroit Pistons 112-103 on their home floor, tying the series at 2-2. After the game, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell spoke with the media about his historic second-half performance.
Reflecting on scoring 39 points in the second half to tie an NBA playoff record, Mitchell said, “I’ve had some good games before—I’m not sure if I ever scored 39 in a half, but I’ve definitely had some strong second halves, right?”
“You have to understand that the game is built quarter by quarter, half by half. The fact that I could have a night like this while my teammates stood right by my side—that’s the most important thing.”
“It gives you the confidence to keep playing and stay aggressive. When you hear someone say, ‘Hey, we’re right here,’ you know that no matter what, we’re fighting together.”
“Everyone had my back. The team understands: this is what I’m supposed to do. They don’t really care how I started the game.”
“I think that’s also important—you need mental toughness yourself, but when you have a group that supports you not only in words, but more importantly, we were only down by four at halftime, that says a lot about the strength of this team.”
