Donovan Mitchell Breaks NBA Record with 13 Three-Pointers in Cavaliers' 142-131 Victory Over Hawks

Donovan Mitchell etched his name into NBA history Thursday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, draining a record-breaking 13 three-pointers to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a thrilling 142-131 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. The explosive shooting guard surpassed Stephen Curry's previous record of 12 three-pointers in a single game, accomplishing the feat in front of a raucous home crowd that witnessed one of the greatest individual shooting performances in basketball history.

Mitchell was unconscious from beyond the arc from the opening tip, connecting on his first five three-point attempts and never cooling off throughout the contest. The 29-year-old guard shot an incredible 13-of-19 from three-point range while finishing with 55 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in a performance that had teammates, coaches, and fans searching for superlatives to describe what they had witnessed.

The record-breaking shot came with 3:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, when Mitchell pulled up from 28 feet and buried a step-back three-pointer over Hawks defender Dejounte Murray. The crowd erupted as Mitchell pumped his fist and was immediately mobbed by his teammates, who fully understood the historic significance of the moment they had just witnessed.

"I've never felt anything like that in my career," Mitchell said during his emotional post-game interview. "When you're in that zone, everything feels like it's going in. My teammates kept finding me, the coaches kept calling plays for me, and the crowd was incredible. To break Stephen Curry's record is surreal - that's a guy I've looked up to my whole career."

Curry, who held the previous record since November 2016, was among the first to congratulate Mitchell on social media, posting "Incredible performance! Records are meant to be broken and you did it the right way. Respect!" The Golden State Warriors superstar's gracious response highlighted the mutual respect between two of the game's premier shooters.

The performance was crucial for Cleveland's playoff positioning, as they moved to 44-26 on the season and strengthened their grip on the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Mitchell has been the catalyst for the Cavaliers' resurgence this season, averaging 28.4 points per game while providing the type of clutch scoring that has made Cleveland a dangerous postseason threat.

For the Hawks, the loss dropped them to 32-38 and further damaged their playoff hopes in the competitive Eastern Conference. Despite strong performances from Trae Young (31 points, 12 assists) and Clint Capela (18 points, 14 rebounds), Atlanta had no answer for Mitchell's historic shooting barrage. The defeat serves as a reminder that in the NBA, individual brilliance can sometimes overcome even the best defensive schemes and team strategies.