Watch: Mitchell strengthens MVP case as Cavs continue hot stretch

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates his three-point basket in the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Donovan Mitchell strengthens MVP case as Cavaliers continue hot stretch

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 2/5/24

The Cavaliers continued their exceptional run on Monday with a 136-110 home win over the Kings, and guard Donovan Mitchell led the way.

Based on his play of late, Mitchell is gathering momentum in the MVP race.

He finished Monday's game with 29 points. Mitchell's top highlight came when he lobbed the ball to himself off the backboard for a rousing slam dunk.

Spida goes off the backboard to himself and slams it ️

Cavs-Kings | Live on the NBA App
https://t.co/Ol7hssQ3ol pic.twitter.com/rtIz0wmbKA
— NBA (@NBA) February 6, 2024

Mitchell finished with a game-high +28 plus/minus and had two steals, two rebounds and five assists, including this excellent no-look pass to center Jarrett Allen.

Spida no-look for the Jarrett Allen SLAM pic.twitter.com/CayYkWM2I5
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 6, 2024

Cleveland (32-16, second in the Eastern Conference) has won six in a row and is 14-1 in its last 15 games. During that span, Mitchell is averaging 28.7 points per game while shooting 49.5%.

Per ESPN Bet, Mitchell is +50000 to win MVP. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (-150) is the favorite to win the award for the third time. While Mitchell might not eclipse Jokic for the hardware, he'll certainly have a credible claim to be a finalist if the Cavs finish the season as the East's No. 2.

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