Down 15 with one quarter to play against one of the NBA’s worst teams, Donovan Mitchell played with a bit of desperation in the final period.

Mitchell scored 24 of his 48 points in the fourth quarter. He drilled eight 3-pointers on the evening. And in the process, he passed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and tied Jayson Tatum on the all-time 45-point game list. Tatum and Mitchell have both had nine such games in their careers now, according to StatMuse.

The Cavaliers beat the Wizards on Friday, which is what they were supposed to do. The way they did it, however, was less reassuring. Cleveland needed every bit of Donovan Mitchell’s 48 points, including 24 in the fourth quarter,

The Cavs made a franchise-altering bet when they traded for Donovan Mitchell that their young core of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley would develop quickly enough to create a championship window during Mitchell’s prime.