Pelicans Scoop

Donovan Mitchell Blasts NBA Referees After Cavaliers vs. Pelicans Game

Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell called out the NBA officiating.

Joey Linn

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates with Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) during the fourth quarter at Smoothie King Center.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates with Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) during the fourth quarter at Smoothie King Center. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have begun the new NBA season with a perfect 9-0 start. This is a franchise record for Cleveland, as no Cavaliers team prior to this one had ever won its first nine games.

Led by star guard Donovan Mitchell, this Cavaliers group is playing with a lot of confidence and cohesion. Defeating the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night, the Cavaliers secured their history-making ninth win of the season. Speaking on this after the game, Mitchell acknowledged his team is 9-0, but also called out the referees for their inconsistent officiating.

“We’re second in the league in drives per game, and we’re not getting any foul calls,” Mitchell said. “I’ve been quiet about it for a long time. Tonight I almost lost my mind. [Darius Garland] had no free throws tonight. I had six finally at the end of the game.”

Mitchell added, “It’s crazy. The refereeing has been so inconsistent. Especially against us. I know we’re 9-0… We play the Lakers, it’s 33-8. Tonight, I don’t even know when the first foul call was.”

Mitchell scored 29 points in this win, raising his scoring average on the season to 23.8 PPG. As Mitchell noted, it has been a collective effort for this Cavaliers team so far, and he feels nobody is getting a good whistle from the referees. 

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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