photo courtesy of NBA
The NBA had some questions about Donovan Mitchell’s impressive performance with the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Chicago Bulls. On Monday, January 2 game, the shooting guard popped off and practically led his team to victory by scoring 71 points and getting 11 assists to achieve a 145-134 win. The very next day, the NBA ordered a PED test for him. Mitchell confirmed it on his Twitter account.
The Cavalier’s player wrote, “Andddd just like that we are drug tested this morning”
According to ESPN, players can get four random tests for performance-enhancing drugs during the season and then another two during the off-season. Although it’s not against the rules, the timing for the testing is clearly due to the outstanding performance in Monday’s game.
Mitchell sat down after the game to talk about what an impressive performance the entire team put up. He said, “It’s humbling. I’m speechless, to be honest with you when you say that. I think for me, not only did I do that, but I did it in an effort where we came back and won. And it’s how we won. That’s really what, for me, it’s like, man, this is nuts …I’m extremely blessed, humbled that I’m in that company, in that group.”
The ESPN report of the game detailed Mitchell’s talented showing. He scored 22 of his points from the field, seven 3-pointers, and 13 in the exciting overtime conclusion, where he closed a 21-point gap between the Cavaliers and the Bulls to win. Mitchell is only the seventh player in NBA history to score over 70 points in one game; amongst those greats is the late Kobe Bryant, who scored 81 points back in 2006.