Donovan Mitchell has nights like these sometimes.
For three quarters, he plays solidly, but the Cleveland Cavaliers need more.
So in the fourth quarter, he erupts.
This time, it was to come back from double digits down to beat the Washington Wizards.
Mitchell scored 24 of his 48 points in the fourth quarter.
He drilled eight 3-pointers on the evening.
And in the process, he passed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and tied Jayson Tatum on the all-time 45-point game list.
Tatum and Mitchell have both had nine such games in their careers now, according to StatMuse.
Donovan Mitchell vs WAS:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 13, 2025
48 PTS
2 STL
8 3P
Passes Shai and ties Tatum in all-time 45-point games (9). Pic.twitter.com/v1kuUtugYt
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The Cavs, now 15-11, clearly shouldn't have found themselves in trouble against the Wizards, who are now 3-20.
But some nights, the other team plays well, and you've just got to find a way to win.
When that way is, give the ball to Donovan and get out of the way, that's often a good enough strategy.
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