Here are the top performers on May 12 and the stats to highlight their impact.
BEST PLAYER OF THE DAY:
Evan Mobley CLE PF 17 PTS | 8 REB | 5 BLK | 55.1 FPS (vs. DET)
The former Defensive Player of the Year was excellent in almost every category today. On offense, he was highly effective from two-point range and posted his best scoring game of the series. Defensively, he was a game-changer, setting a playoff high in blocks. In addition, he also contributed strongly on the boards and as a playmaker. Throughout the year, he has produced many performances like this and should have more of them moving forward.
BREAKOUT:
James Harden CLE SG 24 PTS | 11 AST | 3 STL | 50.5 FPS (vs. DET)
Despite his shooting struggles, this was still one of his better performances in the postseason. Offensively, while Harden missed all of his two-point attempts, he made up for it by hitting five threes and going 9-for-9 at the line to record his fifth 20-point outing. He was just as impressive today as a playmaker, setting a new playoff high in assists while also matching his playoff low in turnovers.
SLEEPER:
Rui Hachimura LAL PF 25 PTS | 5 REB | 1 BLK | 37.0 FPS (vs. OKC)
Hachimura once again came through for the Lakers, posting his second consecutive 20-point outing and finishing as the team’s second-leading scorer. Through four games in this series, the forward has really stepped up offensively, averaging 20.0 points and four threes per game while shooting 55% from deep.
ELITE ASSET:
Donovan Mitchell CLE SG 43 PTS | 5 REB | 1 STL | 54.0 FPS (vs. DET)
It took Mitchell some time to get going, as he struggled in the first half with just four points on 1-for-8 shooting from the field. But the star guard completely flipped the script in the second half, putting up 21 points in the third quarter while missing only one of his nine shots, then adding 18 more in the fourth after going 9-for-10 from the line. He not only led all players in scoring, but also finished with his best scoring performance of the playoffs.
CATEGORY SPECIALIST:
Tobias Harris DET PF 16 PTS | 8 REB | 5 AST | 42.1 FPS (vs. CLE)
Offensively, Harris has been one of the best players this playoffs, posting eight 20-point performances which is the third-most in the league. However, he was less effective today, scoring two points in the second half and finishing 6-for-17 from the field, tying his lowest scoring output.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Ajay Mitchell OKC SG 28 PTS | 4 AST | 4 STL | 48.6 FPS (vs. LAL)
For the second consecutive game, Mitchell set a new playoff high in scoring, doing so with a superb performance from two-point range. Through four games, the sophomore guard has certainly given the Lakers a lot of trouble, averaging 22.5 points on 56% shooting, along with 3.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.8 steals per outing.
STREAMER:
Caris LeVert DET SG 24 PTS | 4 REB | 3 AST | 39.3 FPS (vs. CLE)
Many times this season, LeVert has provided a positive scoring impact off the bench. However, he had mostly been unable to deliver that kind of production in the playoffs. But he proved today that he still has it offensively, shooting 10-for-16 from the field with three triples to lead the team in points while also posting his best scoring performance of the year.
FLOPPER:
Jalen Duren DET C 8 PTS | 2 REB | 2 STL | 18.4 FPS (vs. CLE)
Throughout the season, Duren has been outstanding and was one of the major reasons why the Pistons were able to clinch the first seed. However, he has largely been unable to meet that standard in the postseason. That was the case again today, as he tied his worst scoring output while also setting a new playoff low in rebounds.
