Donovan Mitchell historic night in numbers / News - Basketnews.com

Donovan Mitchell became only the 7th player in NBA history to score 70+ points in a single game. BasketNews takes a look at which records Mitchell broke and the other six players of the 70+ points club.

In the NBA, there are hardly any nights on which a historical performance does not occur. After a 41-15-15 game by Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic put up 60 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists. Tonight, Donovan Mitchell made history by recording the highest-scoring output in 17 years!

The Cleveland Cavaliers star was unstoppable in the overtime win against the Chicago Bulls, putting up 71 points.

No player has scored that many points since Kobe Bryant in 2006 (81 at the time) - and there have only ever been three players in NBA history to score more points in a game. The record is still held by Wilt Chamberlain (100), which dates back to 1962.

But that's not all. Mitchell not only set a record for points in the best game of his career, but his 11 assists were also a career-best.

Overall, he was directly involved in 99 of the Cavaliers' points, a mark that was narrowly surpassed only by Wilt in his record-setting game (104), according to Opta Stats.

Understandably, Mitchell was visibly emotional after the game.

"To be in the history book with guys like Wilt is really a humbling experience," Mitchell said. "I always believed I could be one of the best players in the league. I'm speechless and feel blessed to be named alongside players like this."

Records broken by Donovan Mitchell

Personal career-high in points Personal career-high in assists Cleveland Cavaliers franchise scoring record First-ever performance with 70+ points and 10+ assists

After all, only seven players in history have cracked the magic 70-point mark, only one of whom is currently active besides Mitchell. Neither LeBron James nor Michael Jordan has done it in their careers.

Which other players are in the 70+ point club?

1. Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia 76ers) - 100 points

On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain's Philadelphia 76ers faced the New York Knicks in Pennsylvania. As is well known, Wilt was again on the field for the full game and actually scored 100 points for the first and last time.

He hit 36 of 63 from the field in the process, also adding 28 of 32 from the free throw line and grabbing 25 rebounds.

Actually, Wilt Chamberlain could be lined up on this list even more times, as he has a total of five 70-point games.

2. Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) - 81 points

In January 2006, the Mamba put up the second-highest point output in NBA history. His masterpiece took place against the Toronto Raptors, against whom he put up 81 points.

It was probably the first and last game in which his own teammates asked for autographs. His game stats: 81 points, 28/46 FG, 7/13 3FG, 18/20 FT, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals in 42 minutes.

3. David Thompson (Denver Nuggets) - 73 points

Michael Jordan's idol made his record game against the Detroit Pistons in the spring of 1978. Thompson's historic night was sparked by a race for the scoring title with fellow NBA legend George Gervin, who played for the San Antonio Spurs.

It was the final game of the season for the Nuggets, and head coach Larry Brown gave Thompson the green light to fire as many shots as he needed to take home the crown.

Thompson sure did by producing 73 points, 28/38 FG, 17/20 FT, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists in 43 minutes.

4. Elgin Baylor (Los Angeles Lakers) - 71 points

On November 15, 1960, Elgin Baylor dropped a legendary performance in New York against the Knicks.

Sold-out Madison Square Garden saw Baylor score 71 points to lead the Lakers to a 123-108 win over the Knicks.

In doing so, he surpassed the Garden record of 58 points set by Wilt Chamberlain with the Philadelphia Warriors the year before.

Up to that point, it was the most points ever scored at the old Garden, which stood on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th streets from 1925 to 1968, and also the most in NBA history.

5. Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers) - 71 points

In a comeback win against the Chicago Bulls, Mitchell led his Cavs to a 145-134 victory.

"You have to rank this. It's one of the most impressive performances in the history of our sport and the league," said the Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

6. David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs) - 71 points

Just over twenty-eight years ago, Spurs legend David Robinson went down in the basketball history books with a career-high scoring game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

On April 24, 1994, Robinson scored 71 points in a 112-97 win over the Clippers. This is also the San Antonio Spurs franchise record for most points scored in a single game.

With this performance on the last day of the regular season, Robinson secured the NBA scoring title ahead of Shaquille O'Neal.

Robinson narrowly edged Shaq with a 29.8 points average, while O'Neal averaged 29.3 points per game that season. It was Robinson's first and only scoring title.

7. Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns) - 70 points

At the time, Booker was only a 20-year-old, becoming the youngest player to make the 70-point club.

On March 24, 2017, Booker scored 70 points against the Boston Celtics in a loss that was still high. However, very little was reported about this achievement. On the one hand, it was clear that the game would end in a blowout, and on the other hand, Booker was extremely supported by his team.

Offensively, he got the ball in every offense, and defensively, his teammates regularly fouled out to stop the clock. Still, he was incredibly efficient, staying at just over 50% from the field (21 of 40).

The fact is, in today's NBA, it's getting harder and harder to score at such high levels. Physically dominant players like Wilt simply can't be found these days, and team defenses can counter any player.

Still, it's remarkable to follow such a magical record night, like today, with Donovan Mitchell.

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