Donovan Mitchell leads streaking Cavaliers over Magic with another big scoring performance

He kept things going immediately out of the break, scoring Cleveland's first three baskets of the second half.

Mitchell's incredible game continued his scorching pace of late. He's scored over 30 points in three consecutive games, helping mask Darius Garland's absence. He's missed Cleveland's last six games with a right big toe sprain, and the Cavs have gone 5-1 during that stretch.

The Cavaliers (28-20, fifth in Eastern Conference) are only two games behind the Boston Celtics (29-17, second in Eastern Conference) in the East standings and have won four in a row, which is tied for the league's longest active win streak.

The team will need more from Mitchell to climb back into the top half of the East, and he's proving to be capable of shouldering the load. Mitchell is playing his best basketball in an already impressive career. The 2017 first-round pick has averaged at least 20 points per game in each of his NBA seasons and is scoring a career-high 29.5 points per game this season. 

While Cleveland has already lost two more games than it did all last season, it would be unwise to write it off in the East. Mitchell has leveled up, and as long as that continues, the Cavs must be taken seriously.