'I Don't Flop,' Donovan Mitchell Talks Lack of Foul Calls in Cavs' NBA Playoffs Loss to Pistons

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell only attempted two free throws during the team's 111-101 loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series on Tuesday, and he offered a potential explanation why.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Mitchell said, "I'm just not getting the calls. I don't know why. I don't flop, maybe that's why. 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."

Mitchell shooting only two free throws was a microcosm of Game 1 in its entirety, as the Pistons shot 35 free throws as a team compared to just 16 for the Cavs.

Aside from James Harden, who went 9-for-9 at the charity stripe, no other Cavaliers player shot more than two free throws in the game.

Cavaliers-Pistons Highlights

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Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson preached the importance of Mitchell continuing to play his game in hopes that it will yield more favorable calls as the series continues.

"I'm just going to continue to plead with him to get to the paint, get to the rim," Atkinson said. "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."

During the regular season, Mitchell tied for the 14th-most free-throw attempts per game at 6.1, but that number has dipped to just 2.3 through eight playoff games.

Mitchell has still been productive, as he is averaging 23.1 points per game during the postseason and scored 23 points on Tuesday, but getting to the line with more consistency would likely get him closer to his regular-season scoring average of 27.9.

Detroit scored 12 more points at the line than Cleveland in a 10-point win, but that wasn't the only difference, as the Pistons also forced 19 turnovers, including seven by Harden.

Inconsistent play plagued the Cavaliers throughout their first-round win over the Toronto Raptors, which went seven games, and it won't be a surprise if their second-round series with the Pistons is another roller-coaster ride.