Donovan Mitchell's historic 71 points set a franchise record as Cavs hold the Bulls in OT

Donovan Mitchell scored 71 points to set a franchise record for the Cavs defeating the Bulls 145-134 in OT.

It was the most points in a game by any player since Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant had 81 against Toronto on Jan. 22, 2006. Wilt Chamberlain owns the NBA record with 100 for Philadelphia against New York on March 2, 1962, at Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Mitchell motioned for the Cleveland audience, which has welcomed him in his brief time with the Cavaliers, to get louder as the last seconds of overtime ticked away, and then he took in their ovation.

Mitchell tied the game at 130-all then broke the Cleveland record with 58 points after forcing overtime by grabbing his own purposefully missed free throw and making a circus shot with 3.0 seconds left. Mitchell scored 13 points in the extra session.

Mitchell joined the 70-point club in overtime, moving up to position seven. Chamberlain accomplished it six times, while Bryant, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns each did so once.

In 50 minutes, Mitchell not only tied a career record with 11 assists and 8 rebounds, but he also set a career high with 20 made and 25 attempted free throws. In the first quarter, he scored five points, in the second, 11, in the third, and in the fourth, he scored 24, and so on. He equaled Kobe Bryant for the most points scored after the break with 55 during the previous 25 seasons.

Mitchell had a poor offensive year heading into the new year, scoring 17.5 points on average while shooting 32.9% on 73 field goal attempts in his previous four games. He currently has a 28.0 scoring average and is ranked ninth in the NBA.