Donovan Mitchell acknowledged that the free-throw disparity wasn't the reason the Cleveland Cavaliers dropped Tuesday's Game 1 of their second-round series against the Detroit Pistons.
However, the seven-time All-Star doesn't understand why he isn't receiving the same foul calls in the playoffs as he did in the regular season.
"A friend of mine got fined for talking about flopping, so I'm not gonna try to double down, but I feel like that's what I got to do at this point," Mitchell said postgame, per ESPN.
"I'm trying to get downhill, trying to get to the bucket, and sometimes people are in my way, and I'm trying to fight through contact, and I'm not getting these calls."
Although Mitchell didn't reveal his friend's identity, the NBA recently fined Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown $50,000 for suggesting the three referees who officiated their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers should be investigated and accusing Joel Embiid of flopping.
Mitchell's downhill driving style frequently earned him trips to the charity stripe during the regular season, ranking 14th in the Association with 6.1 free-throw attempts per contest.
That number has dropped to 2.3 attempts in the playoffs, including none in a Game 6 overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors in the opening round.
"I'm just not getting the calls. I don't know why. I don't flop, maybe that's why," Mitchell said. "And this isn't just a tonight thing. This has been the entire (playoffs), 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've got to find a way to finish through that."
Game 2 tips off Thursday at 7 p.m. ET in Detroit.
