By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Donovan Mitchell’s 57 points were the third-most in NBA playoff history, trailing only Michael Jordan’s 63 points against the Boston Celtics in 1986 and Elgin Baylor’s 61 points against the Celtics in 1962.
However, it was his 8-second violation with 1:46 remaining in the fourth quarter that helped the Denver Nuggets escape from Game 1 of the first-round playoff series with an overtime win.
“It’s tough to lose the first game … but there’s a lot of things we could control,” Mitchell said afterward. “I put a little bit on myself for the 8-second violation, and then they come down and hit a 3, and that really changed the entire game, that sequence right there.”
“That’s my fault as a leader and as a point guard at that time,” Mitchell said. “That’s terrible on my part. I kind of put that … there’s really no one else to put it on. I was just taking my time walking it up, and I’ve got to be more aware. I think that was a crucial part of the game. At the end of the day, I’m not going to put it all on that one play, but that was a crucial part.”