On January 17th, Beijing time, the Cavaliers suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Thunder. Donovan Mitchell achieved a milestone in his Cavaliers career with 700 steals, but he underperformed again in this game. In the seven games he played in January, he only managed to score over 30 points once, and both times against the Thunder, he did not play well. He has now been labeled as someone who falters when facing top-tier opponents.
As the Cavaliers' scoring leader, averaging 23.1 points per game, it was expected that Mitchell would deliver a grand performance in the second match between the Eastern and Western Conference leaders. However, Mitchell's performance fell short once again. In the first quarter, he shot 1 for 7 and 1 for 2 from three-point range, scoring 3 points with no rebounds or assists under the defense of Carson Wallace and Dort. In the second quarter, he shot 1 for 5 and 0 for 2 from three-point range, ending the half with 2 for 12 shooting and 1 for 4 from three-point range, accumulating 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.
The Cavaliers continued to crumble in the third quarter, and with 4 minutes and 30 seconds remaining, Atkinson proactively gave up the game by substituting out the main players. Mitchell played for 21 minutes in three quarters, shooting 3 for 15 and 1 for 4 from three-point range, scoring only 8 points.
Cavaliers fans posted Mitchell's statistics of 3 for 15 shooting, scoring 8 points with 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, having a shooting percentage of 20% and a true shooting percentage of 25.2%, with a plus-minus of -28, asking, "What's wrong with Mitchell?"
During the first match between the Thunder and Cavaliers on January 9th, Mitchell played for 35 minutes, shooting 3 for 16 and 2 for 7 from three-point range, scoring 11 points with 6 rebounds and 4 assists, having a shooting percentage of 18.8% and a true shooting percentage of 31%. In two games against the Thunder, Mitchell shot 6 for 31 and 3 for 11 from three-point range, with a shooting percentage of 19.3% and a three-point shooting percentage of 27.2%.
American fans commented: "Mitchell is the most mediocre player in the NBA; he has always been overrated. No matter what you say, he can score 40 points against a weak team and get 14-18 points against a strong team; his performance is absurd."
In the final quarter, Mitchell, Mobley, and Allen were all serious on the bench.
American media mocked: "This is how Mitchell performs when facing tough defense."
