Donovan Mitchell is known for setting the tone early in the playoffs. The Cleveland Cavaliers star entered Tuesday's Game 1 against the Detroit Pistons with an impressive streak of nine straight playoff-series openers where he scored 30 or more points. That streak, however, came to a halt in a 111-101 loss.

Mitchell still led the Cavaliers with 23 points, but he fell short of his usual explosive mark. And while he attacked the paint relentlessly, the whistle simply wasn't on his side. Mitchell attempted just two free throws in the game—a far cry from his regular-season average of 6.1 per contest.

When asked about the lack of calls, Mitchell didn't hold back. "I don't flop, maybe that's why," he said postgame, via ESPN. "I'm just not getting the calls. I don't know 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? I can't control that. So if they're not going to call it for me, I got to find a way to finish."

Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson was more measured in his response, noting that he'll keep encouraging Mitchell to drive aggressively, trusting that the calls will eventually come. Neither Mitchell nor Atkinson wanted to push the envelope too far, especially after Boston's Jaylen Brown was fined for criticizing officials following a Game 7 loss. Mitchell even hinted at that, saying a friend of his "got fined for talking about flopping."

The free-throw disparity was glaring in Game 1. The Pistons attempted 35 free throws in the win, while the Cavaliers managed just 16—a 19-shot difference in a game decided by only 10 points. For a player like Mitchell, who thrives on contact and creativity around the rim, it's a tough pill to swallow. But as he said, the only option now is to adjust and keep attacking.