Donovan Mitchell’s 71-point outing against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night was so dominant that the NBA had to drug test the Cleveland Cavaliers. No, this is not an exaggeration.
Mitchell’s 71-point night propelled the Cavaliers to a 145-134 victory over the rival Chicago Bulls. Per ESPN’s Jamal Collier, the NBA tested Cavaliers players after the game to make sure they weren’t using PEDs:
“A day after a historic 71-point game from All-Star Donovan Mitchell, the Cleveland Cavaliers were issued tests for performance-enhancing drugs Tuesday afternoon, the team confirmed to ESPN.
Players are typically subject to four random tests for PEDs during the season and two during the offseason, according to the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association.”
Earlier in the day, Mitchell responded to a tweet from teammate Robin Lopez and revealed that they were tested for drugs:
Hey, Mitchell may as well take it as a compliment. That’s one way for the NBA to show that they were blown away and at a loss of words regarding his career game.
Mitchell became just the seventh player ever to put up at least 70 points in a game, joining a legendary club that also features Wilt Chamberlain (he holds the single-game record with 100 points), Kobe Bryant, David Thompson, David Robinson, Elgin Baylor and Phoenix Suns superstar Devin Booker.
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Last season, the Cavaliers recorded their first winning campaign without LeBron James on the roster since 1997-98. General manager Koby Altman saw the offseason as an opportunity to go all-in, so he completed a trade for the former Utah Jazz All-Star.
Needless to say, the trade has paid major dividends through the first two and a half months of the season. Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland have formed a dynamic “big three”, and the Cavaliers sit fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 24-14 record.
Mitchell is everything the Cavaliers could have asked for. He’s averaging 29.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game. After losing both their play-in games last season, Cleveland appears to be in good position to lock down a top-four seed in the East, which would guarantee them home court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.
