27 points, that’s how many points Donovan Mitchell scored in his first playoff game. Twenty seven points. Gordon Hayward didn’t eclipse 20 points until the third game of the Los Angeles Clippers series last year and he was in his seventh season. That’s not to take anything away from Gordon Hayward, Jazz fans expected him to get buckets. In that same vein, Jazz fans are not shocked when Donovan Mitchell scores 27 points in a playoff game. He’s been doing that all year—why would he stop now?
What makes Donovan Mitchell’s playoff debut so special is only 10 rookies have scored 27 points or more in their playoff debut.