DONOVAN Mitchell has become the latest NBA star to come up with a performance for the ages, scoring a whopping 71 points for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
Mitchell, 26, immortalized the moment by recreating the iconic photo from NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game.
3
3
After a quiet first half, Mitchell exploded for 42 points to help the Cavaliers overcome a double-digit deficit and force overtime.
The Louisville standout took a page out of Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic's handbook, missing a free throw before tying the game with a putback layup in the last seconds of regulation.
In overtime, Mitchell added another 13 points, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field — three of his field goals coming from beyond the arc.
The guard ended the night with 71 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds, falling two boards short of the NBA's first-ever 70-point triple-double.
Read more on the NBA
After his remarkable performance, Mitchell celebrated by posing for a commemorative photo with his teammates.
Before taking the snap, he put on a chain necklace with a gigantic Cavaliers logo before veteran forward Kevin Love handed him a piece of paper with "71" scribbled on it.
Then, Mitchell kept the two props for a single photo of himself, recreating a famous NBA moment from the time when Chamberlain celebrated his 100-point game in 1962.
After the Philadelphia 76ers great became the only ever player to score 100 points in a single NBA game during a 169-147 win over the New York Knicks, Chamberlain held a piece of paper with the number "100" on it while posing for a picture.
Most read in Sport
The snap would become one of the most iconic NBA images.
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker celebrated his 70-point performance in a similar fashion in March 2017.
Mitchell has scored the most points in a single game since Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant dropped 81 in 2006.
Only Chamberlain, Bryant, and David Thompson have registered a higher-scoring tally than the Cavaliers All-Star.
Mitchell tied David Robinson and Elgin Baylor in eight on the NBA's all-time list of most single-game points.
3