Davion Mitchell wins rookie battle with Franz Wagner; Kings storm back to beat Magic in OT
The Kings know they are asking a lot of Davion Mitchell with De’Aaron Fox out due to a hand injury, but the rookie first-round draft pick keeps rising to the challenge.
Mitchell has averaged 41.0 minutes as the team’s starting point guard over the past four games, operating as the primary ballhandler, distributor and scorer while spearheading the effort on the defensive end as well.
Mitchell did it again in a 114-110 overtime victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night at Amway Center, logging a career-high 45 minutes while making plays from start to finish to win his rookie duel with Franz Wagner.
Mitchell finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and one game-changing steal for the Kings (27-48), who have posted back-to-back wins to keep their faint play-in hopes alive. Somefirst-year players hit the rookie wall at this late stage in the season, but Mitchell is smashing through it, averaging 21.8 points and 6.8 assists since stepping into the starting lineup.
“He is really growing,” interim Kings coach Alvin Gentry said. “And I have to say that what I’m asking him to do right now is really, really tough. He played 45 minutes tonight, and the way he plays, and the intensity he plays with, it’s almost unfair, really, but he would play the whole 48 if I wanted him to.”
Harrison Barnes had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Kings, who now trail the New Orleans Pelicans by 4 ½ games for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference with seven games remaining. Donte DiVincenzo had 16 points and eight rebounds. Trey Lyles grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds.
Wagner had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Magic (20-55). Mo Bamba posted 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Those players all had an impact on the game, but none more than Mitchell, who came out of Baylor as the No. 9 pick in the 2021 NBA draft. Mitchell came out firing from the opening tip, playing with poise and purpose in every aspect of the game.
“I think my confidence is growing higher and higher each game,” Mitchell said. “I’m getting more comfortable being in these situations and I think the coaches are doing a really good job of letting me play, just running the offense, trying to be that leader out there on the floor.”
That was all on display early as Mitchell made a stepback 3-pointer on the opening possession, threw a lob to Damian Jones for an alley-oop and then pressured Cole Anthony into a turnover, resulting in a steal and a breakaway dunk for Barnes. Mitchell followed that sequence with a midrange jumper over the 7-foot Bamba. Then he really started cooking, dancing left and right behind a screen from Alex Len before draining another pullup jumper in front of the Kings’ bench, where they started applauding as soon as Mitchell set his feet.
Mitchell added another 3-pointer from the corner to put the Kings up 41-28 at the end of the first period, but Orlando cut into that lead when Mitchell went to the bench for four minutes at the start of the second quarter. The Magic cut the deficit to four going into the halftime break, took the lead in the third quarter and led by eight when Jones went to the free-throw line with 1:14 to play in regulation.
Jones made the first free throw and missed the second, but DiVincenzo was there for a big offensive rebound and the first of two clutch 3-pointers. The Kings got a defensive stop and cut Orlando’s lead to two on a putback by Lyles. They still trailed by two with 14.2 seconds remaining when Mitchell made the biggest play of the game.
Mitchell picked up Magic point guard Cole Anthony on the inbound to apply 94 feet of pressure, but Anthony could only take six steps before Mitchell poked the ball away for an easy layup, tying the game to force overtime. The plan was to trap Anthony in the backcourt, but Mitchell baited him into a turnover, saying he leaned one way because he knew Anthony would try to go the other way on a crossover.
Gentry marveled at the fact that Mitchell is going strong after 75 games. Gentry pointed out Mitchell has played twice as many games as he played each season at Baylor, where he was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year last season while helping the Bears win their first NCAA championship.
“Who we’re asking him to guard on the floor, and then we ask him to run our offense and get guys involved and get himself involved, I think it’s unbelievable, No. 1, the progress he’s made, and No. 2, the stamina he’s had to continue to play at the level that he has.”
Mitchell’s shooting as come and gone at times this season, but over the past eight games he has made 48.7% from the field and 40% from 3-point range.
“When I first got to the team, he was kind of struggling a little bit in a couple of the first games we were together, but I just see him in the gym all the time, putting in work and working on his stuff that he does in the game,” Lyles said. “He’s taking it upon himself to be a better leader on the floor, vocal and stuff like that, so he’s doing a great job.”
Mitchell looked tired at times against Orlando, but he rejected any suggestion of fatigue.
“As far as fatigue, I just feel like fatigue is in your mind,” he said. “If you don’t tell yourself you’re tired, then I feel like you won’t be tired. I was missing shots down the stretch, but those were just missed shots. It’s not because I’m tired. It’s just missed shots.”
After sizzling with 20 points in the first half, Mitchell went scoreless in the second until he picked Anthony’s pocket at the end of the fourth quarter. Mitchell missed both of his field-goal attempts in overtime, but he recorded assists on all three baskets the Kings scored in the extra session. The first was a layup by Jones. The second was a game-tying 3-pointer by DiVincenzo. The third was a go-ahead 3-pointer by Barnes.
Mitchell said this stretch has been good for his growth as he wraps up his rookie season. He isn’t in the running for Rookie of the Year, but a full season of his recent production as a starter might have made him the frontrunner for the award.
“It’s really important, just stepping up in those times, when our point guard is out — De’Aaron — when he’s out, I know I’ve got to step up,” Mitchell said. “Offensively, I’ve got to be aggressive, facilitating, because he also facilitates the ball really well for our team, so I’ve just got to keep doing those things and I feel like we’ll be in a good position to win the game.”
The Kings did that Saturday night. Mitchell credited DiVincenzo, Lyles, Jones and the rest of his teammates. Gentry said Mitchell deserved a lot of credit, too.
“I know everybody sits up here and talks about their players and how hard they work,” Gentry said. “But I think you can ask any guy or any player on our staff, there’s not one single person on this team that works harder than (Mitchell) does to try to improve his game.”
This story was originally published March 27, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
