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71-point Performance by Donovan Mitchell Prompted a Drug Tested by NBA

Cleveland Cavaliers guard, Donovan Mitchell, had a game for the ages Monday night against the Chicago Bulls. The all star guard scored 71 points that earned him an early morning drug test from the NBA! We discuss it here!

 
Cleveland Cavaliers All Star Guard Donovan Mitchell

Cleveland Cavaliers All Star Guard Donovan Mitchell

Jason Miller | Credit: Getty Images

By: Adonis Armstrong

26 year old Cleveland Cavaliers guard, Donovan Mitchell, had a record breaking game in scoring against the Chicago Bulls. January 2nd, Monday night Mitchell torched the Bulls with a whooping 71 point performance followed with 11 assists to complete a double double. He also hauled in 8 rebounds as well. While his memorable night energized basketball fans around the world, the NBA wanted to validate his performance by drug testing him.

Even though the action seems like it’s not random because of the timing, it’s completely legal according to the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. It reads that players are subjected to four random tests during the year; two during the season and two during the off season. So after the 71 point performance, the league used one of their random tests to make sure Mitchell is an honest player.

Donovan isn’t the first player randomly selected to have a drug test. De’Aron Fox of the Sacramento Kings was subject to one after posting workout videos online. Even Bradly Beal after back to back 50 point games a couple seasons ago had to go through it.

Some fans are arguing that the NBA should test the All NBA guard Luka Doncic, who is having an MVP caliber year himself.

Mitchell was hot from the field shooting 64 percent from the floor, while making 7 3-pointers, and finishing the game out strong in overtime with 13 points to erase a 21-point deficit to get a win against the Bulls. He is just the seventh player in the league’s history to score 70 points in a game. The last player to accomplish the feat of 70 points is Phoenix Suns All star Guard Devin Booker in a loss to the Boston Celtics on March 24, 2017.

Mitchell joins the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson and Devin Booker as the only players to score 70 or more points in an NBA game. 

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NBA Players and Fans React to 2021 All-Star Selection “Snubs”

With the NBA All-Star rosters formally announced, we discuss some of the biggest snubs for this year’s All-Star game!

 
247 Live Culture
Devin Booker - Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports

Devin Booker - Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports

By: Tialena Evans

This year’s NBA season is nothing short of thrilling plays and down to the wire games. The way these stars have been putting on a show for fans at home just goes to show the true passion they have for the game.

In just the first half of the regular season, there have been 24 games pushed to overtime with an average team score of 112 points. This is the highest point average in the league since the 1970-71 regular season. 

While fans can’t be heard from the arena stands, their voices are still being heard loud and clear. The 2021 NBA All-Star roster was announced earlier this week and fans from all over took to social media to express who they believe deserved a sport on the All-Star roster. 

Even coaches shared their views on the snubs of this year’s selection. 

Let’s face it. Snubs happen, every year in fact. While there are only 12 spots for each conference to showcase the league's best, there just so happens to be more than 24 game-impacting players. 

But when you think about whether a player has been “snubbed” from selection, it’s only fair to ask, “who would this player replace in the roster?”. Once you think about it, it’s a lot harder to rearrange the selections. 

All 24 All-Star selections are well deserving and you could even argue swapping a starter for a reserve. A possibility in my book would be moving up James Harden to steal Kyrie Irving’s starting position, or even switching out Luka Doncic’s start for Damian Lillard. 

With all the different possibilities once could have for the selections roster, one of the biggest snubs that stuck out like a sore thumb was the absence of Devin Booker. Before it was announced that he would be replacing the Injured Anthony Davis in the reserves, Booker was originally left off the All-Star roster which had fans, and even players, questioning the decision. 

Coincidentally, Booker has received both of his All-Star selections as an injury replacement—pretty demoralizing. He's averaging 25 points, 4.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds and shooting a career-high 50.3% from the field.

Alongside his fellow All-Star teammate Chris Paul, they have led the Phoenix Suns to a 20-10 record, which is the fourth best in the NBA. Booker is averaging almost 10 more points per game, yet Paul was able to steal the Phoenix reserve spot. 

Very interesting. 

Other notable player snubs include Trae Young, Domantas Sabonis, Mike Conley Jr., Brandon Ingram, and the list goes on. Trae Young would be among the top snubs, averaging 27.2 points, eighth in the league, and almost 10 assists per game, third overall in the NBA. 

The 2021 NBA All-Star game will be held on Sunday, March 7th at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. On-court action will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

It'll be exciting to watch replacement Devin Booker prove to voters, once again, what the All-Star in himself is capable of. Maybe next year he’ll find himself a part of the original roster for once.

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