sport news Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell delivers the EIGHTH highest scoring game in NBA ... trends now

Amid a string of historic NBA performances by the league's biggest stars, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell set himself apart on Monday by becoming sixth player in NBA history to reach the 70-point plateau in a single game.

The only other players to score at least 71 in a game: Wilt Chamberlain (five times), Kobe Bryant, David Thompson, David Robinson and Elgin Baylor.

What's more, Mitchell's 71 points in Monday's 145-134 overtime win over the Chicago Bulls is the most ever scored by a player standing under 6-foot-5.

In a season where big numbers have become the norm, Mitchell put up the biggest numbers of all Monday night — matching the second highest-scoring game the NBA has seen in nearly 45 years.

'This is nuts, to be honest,' said Mitchell, who had 55 of his points after halftime. 'I'm extremely blessed and humbled that I'm in that company, in that group. I've always believed I can be one of the best players in this league, but I've got to keep working. This is a big milestone, but at the end of the day, those guys have all won at the highest level. That's my ultimate goal.'

The most recent game of more than 71 points was Bryant's 81-point masterpiece for the Los Angeles Lakers against Toronto on January 22, 2006. Before that, it was 73 points by David Thompson for Denver against Detroit on April 9, 1978.

'To be there in the record books with them is truly incredible,' Mitchell said.

His was the 12th game of 50 or more points in the NBA so far this season; later Monday, Golden State's Klay Thompson scored 54 in the Warriors' double-overtime win over Atlanta — becoming the 13th 50-point game of the season.

Video game numbers are coming nightly now. Before Dec. 23, there had only been four days in NBA history where five players scored at least 40 points

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