Donovan Mitchell's Game 6 struggles continue with Cavs star getting shut down by particular Pistons defender

Mitchell, who has lost six Game 6s in a row, has had an up-and-down series against Detroit

Jack Maloney

May 16, 2026

12:57 am ET

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5 min read

Imagn Images

Donovan Mitchell has never missed the playoffs. He's also never made the conference finals. That remained true Friday when the Detroit Pistons crushed the Cleveland Cavaliers, 115-94, in Game 6 of their second-round series to keep their season alive and force a Game 7 back in Detroit on Sunday.

Mitchell wasn't the only Cavalier at fault Friday, but his no-show was the biggest reason why Cleveland lost at home for the first time in the playoffs, and highlighted not only his inconsistent play this postseason, but his Game 6 misery. Mitchell has now lost six consecutive Game 6s, including four close-out games, dating back to his time with the Jazz in the 2020 bubble.

In 37 minutes, Mitchell had more shots than points and as many turnovers as assists, and the Cavaliers were outscored by 25 -- the worst plus/minuts of anyone on the team. His final line: 18 points on 6 of 20 from the field, including 2 of 6 from 3-point range, four rebounds, three assists and three turnovers. This was the third time in 13 playoff games he's been held under 20 points and the third time he's shot worst than 40%.

"I can't dwell on it, you know what I mean? I missed shots tonight. Do I think some of them were tougher shots that I could have gotten better [looks]? Sure. But I could say that about every game. I'm not here to look at the fact that I missed shots," Mitchell told reporters. "It's just the overall force and impact of the game. Tonight I missed shots. I've been making them most every game this series and tonight I didn't. I'm not worried about that. It's more so everything else."

"But yeah, we missed an opportunity," Mitchell continued. "But we can't do anything about it. We gotta go out there and win on the road."

Mitchell's inconsistent series

Mitchell was all over the map in the first round against the Toronto Raptors, but let's stick to this series versus the Pistons. Here's a look at Mitchell's game-by-game numbers:

- Game 1: 23 points (9 of 19 FG, 4 of 10 3FG), four rebounds, two assists, three turnovers

- Game 2: 31 points (11 of 24 FG, 2 of 9 3FG), six rebounds, three assists, two turnovers

- Game 3: 35 points (13 of 24 FG, 2 of 8 3FG), 10 rebounds, four assists, three turnovers

- Game 4: 43 points (13 of 26 FG, 4 of 12 3FG), five rebounds, two assists, one turnover

- Game 5: 21 points (7 of 18 FG, 1 of 8 3FG), four rebounds, three assists, two turnovers

- Game 6: 18 points (6 of 20 FG, 2 of 6 3FG), four rebounds, three assists, three turnovers

Series averages: 28.5 points (45% FG, 28.3% 3FG), 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.3 turnovers

Even within games, Mitchell has been up and down. In Game 4, he had four points on 1 of 8 shooting in the first half and 39 points on 12 of 18 shooting in the second half.

Ausar Thompson, one of the best and most versatile defenders in the league, deserves a ton of credit for the work he's done to slow down Mitchell. He's been shadowing him all series and using his length, athleticism and physicality to make Mitchell fight for everything, even just to catch the ball sometimes. Notably, on the very first possession of Game 6, Mitchell was called for an offensive foul for trying to shed Thompson.

Per the NBA's tracking data, Thompson had guarded Mitchell on 117 possessions in the first five games of this series, and Mitchell scored 15 points on 4 of 19 shooting, including 1 of 11 from 3-point range, and has turned the ball over three times. Tracking data can be wonky at times, but those numbers are stark.

Mitchell, to no surprise, said he hasn't been bothered by Thompson, nor does he feel worn down from dealing with the constant pressure. However, it's worth noting that his last two showings have been his worst of the series. And, outside of Game 4, he's shooting 32.4% in the fourth quarter, including 3 of 13 in the last two games.

Regardless of individual matchups, Mitchell has also really struggled to finish at the rim this series and has been ice-cold from 3-point range. Mitchell says he's just missing shots, and there's truth to that, but the Pistons' physicality has been a real factor.

PeriodRim FGA / GRim FG%3PA / G3P%Regular season

4.4

65.6%

8.8

36.4%

Pistons series

54.2%

8.8

28.3%

Mitchell's Game 6 misery

Mitchell has now lost six consecutive Game 6s, and while he was largely at fault for Friday's defeat, that hasn't always been the case. In fact, he's often been a hard-luck loser. Notably, the Cavaliers lost Game 6 against the Magic in the first round in 2024 despite his 50-point effort, and they lost Game 6 to the Raptors earlier this postseason on an absurd buzzer-beating 3-pointer by RJ Barrett.

Let's take a closer look at Mitchell's Game 6 history.

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