The Oklahoma City Thunder guard delivered a career-high playoff performance, tallying 24 points and 10 assists in a decisive 131-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena.
After the game, Mitchell attributed the turnaround to a midgame adjustment. “Yeah, I mean, I think it wasn’t our best half and in the locker room, we just talked about it, knew that we had to adjust and be better. I think we did a great job coming out of the half.”
The Thunder responded by outscoring the Lakers 33-20 in the third quarter, continuing a trend of pulling away late in games during their postseason run. Mitchell focused on the team’s overall approach rather than the scoreboard swing.
He also explained the mindset that has fueled his emergence in his first extended playoff role. “I think the biggest thing for me was just going out there and being confident. I know what I can do. When I go out there, I just want to compete and help this team win, play freely, have confidence. Obviously my teammates gave me a lot of confidence and the coaching staff, so it’s been amazing to see that.”
Mitchell noted that confidence is reinforced throughout the roster. “Yeah, I think the bonds that we were able to build from day one were pretty special. Learning from every single guy on our team and then hearing it from them, just giving me confidence and being like go out there, go hoop, be yourself. I think that was huge for me.”
The second-year guard also referenced the Thunder’s response to past playoff struggles in road Game 3 situations. “Yeah, I think it’s more about our team and how we approach game three. Especially this year, we knew what happened last year. We had a couple slips in game threes and we knew right away that this year we wanted to take care of that and be better in those games, just be ourselves.”
Mitchell’s path to a starting role has been unconventional, shaped by his development from Belgium to college basketball at UCSB and then into a rotation player on a title-contending roster. That background remains part of his mindset.
“For me individually, it’s been more of just being grateful. Looking back to where I was, looking back to myself as a little kid in Belgium just dreaming of playing in the NBA. God putting me in those positions, I just really feel grateful for those opportunities. I feel like I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder. Every time I step out on the court, I just want to prove myself and be a winning player and help my team win.”
Within Oklahoma City’s system, Mitchell highlighted how leadership influences execution, especially from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “Yeah, it’s huge obviously when your star player is reacting to every play that any guy on the team makes. Every single player on our team is going to react when one of our guys makes a good play. It’s just the team that we are.”
He also described the effect of Gilgeous-Alexander’s composure in tight moments. “It’s pretty cool to see that from your star player. No matter what’s going on in the game, he’s always going to be calm, collected. I think that just gives all of us a huge boost in confidence and knowing that we’re good no matter what.”
When the game tightened early in the fourth quarter with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench, Mitchell expanded his role and helped stabilize possession flow. “Felt great, just going out there trying to make good plays. Being aggressive, finding my teammates, finding shots for myself. Just felt very good, very comfortable, and happy we got it done and made a run.”
Game 4 is scheduled for Monday night in Los Angeles, with the Thunder entering with a 7-0 playoff record and a 2-1 series lead, continuing a dominant stretch built on depth, continuity, and expanding contributions across the rotation.
