Donovan Mitchell is one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA.
He has never scored less than 20 points per game in his career, something only a few players have accomplished.
This season, he has looked extra polished.
Hitting pull-up three pointers coming off screens, attacking the rim using his athleticism, and even getting his teammates more involved without Darius Garland to do that.
On Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers got Garland back after rehabbing a toe injury that required surgery.
However, Mitchell stole the show in his return, scoring 46 points against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Postgame, Mitchell was asked about his motivation going into the game and what enabled him to deliver such a great performance.
“I was playing (NBA) 2k for two hours, I told him too I said wait, just wait. He called me washed up, he called me a bunch of things,” Mitchell said Wednesday.
“He said he hadn’t seen a highlight of me in a minute, I just told him alright, we’ll see…This game was for that kid or grown man, whoever it was.”
Mitchell revealed that his motivation for that game came from an opponent in NBA 2K26.
Usually, players are motivated to play better when people are hating on them, so really, this is no different than most cases.
Mitchell may have to play more video games because he is now averaging 31.9 points per game after his 46-point outburst, and the Cavaliers are 5-3 and tied for the third seed in the East.
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