Cavs' Mitchell on lack of foul calls: 'I don't flop, maybe that's why' - ESPN

Asked to pinpoint Tuesday night why he wasn't getting to the free throw line during the playoffs as much as he was during the regular season, Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell offered up, «I don't flop, maybe that's why.»

Mitchell scored 23 points in Cleveland's 111-101 loss to the host Detroit Pistons in Game 1 of their second-round series, ending his NBA-record streak of scoring 30-plus points in nine straight series openers. He went to the free throw line twice against the Pistons, after making 16 trips total during Cleveland's seven-game series against Toronto in the first round.

During the regular season, Mitchell averaged 6.1 free throw attempts.

«I'm just not getting the calls. I don't know why. I don't flop, maybe that's why,» Mitchell said Tuesday. «And this isn't just a tonight thing. This has been the entire series, and it's frustrating a little bit, but because I'm such a dynamic driver, right? But I can't control that. So if they're not going to call it for me, I got to find a way to finish and do that.»

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was asked the same question about Mitchell not getting foul calls at his usual rate, replying, «I'm just going to continue to plead with him to get to the paint, get to the rim. That's all you can do. That's all you control. You know, we just got to keep driving the ball. You meet aggressiveness with aggressiveness, and then we got to make the right reads.

»So keep getting to the paint. It'll turn. It usually does with the free throws."

For the game, the Cavaliers had 16 free throw attempts, compared to 35 for the Pistons. Mitchell was quick to point out, «The free throw disparity is not why we lost tonight.»

The Pistons forced 20 turnovers that led to 31 points in a