With all eyes on Utah Jazz, Donovan Mitchell takes over in win

Donovan Mitchell started slow but finished strong in a big time win.

All eyes were on the NBA on Thursday night as they became the first sport to officially “stop” because of the pandemic but “restart” using the highly recommended and praised “bubble” method. Oddly enough, on March 12th the Utah Jazz were at the center of the NBA’s suspension following a positive COVID-19 test for Rudy Gobert, and eventually his teammate and former Cardinal, Donovan Mitchell.

Playing in the first game since March 12th, Mitchell and the Jazz went head-to-head with the New Orleans Pelicans, a team who essentially got into the bubble because of the demand to see no. 1 overall pick, Zion Williamson.

There was a lot of talk about both of these teams during the shutdown and then the lead up to the NBA restart, but for completely different reasons. The Pelicans were one of the most exciting teams last year once Williamson recovered from his offseason injury – playing him alongside young players Brandon Ingram, Jrue Holiday, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and others. There’s no denying that the NBA wanted to do everything in its  power to get Williamson and the Pelicans into the playoffs for TV ratings reasons – but doing so would be extremely difficult.

On the other hand, the Jazz w ere at the center of the NBA’s encounter with COVID-19 and the pandemic, as it was Gobert who first tested positive just days after videos surfaced of him being careless around reporters microphones and reports indicated that the behavior may have been worse around teammates. His actions led to Mitchell testing positive just a few days after the shutdown, beginning a feud between the team’s two stars that some wonder still may not be squashed.

Also read: Should beef continue, these 3 teams could pursue a trade for Donovan Mitchell

It’s also worth noting that leading up to the NBA  restart, Mitchell was one of the loudest NBA stars when it came to using his platform to call for change; specifically calling for Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron to arrest the officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville on numerous occasions.

That continued during Thursday’s game, with the two teams joining together to kneel around the “Black Lives Matter” phrasing on the court during the National Anthem. Mitchell wore “Say Her Name” on the back of his jersey, which again was in reference to the police shooting of Taylor earlier this year and was apart of the NBA’s initiative (created by Angel McCoughtry) to continue fighting for social justice.

Once the game got underway, Mitchell struggled to get going while his teammates were able to push the Jazz to a nice lead. Thanks to a long scoring streak from Ingram, that lead eventually faltered and the Pelicans were able to push things ahead while keeping Mitchell quiet.

Finishing the first half with just six points, it was obvious that Mitchell was being impacted by the defense of Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball but with his other teammates getting hot early on, it allowed for him to pick and chose his spots and conserve energy late in the game.

Sure enough, that’s exactly how it went down as Mitchell turned his scoring on in the second half while focusing on getting his teammates involved at crucial times. The great thing about the former Louisville star’s game is that it’s predicated on being able to beat you off the dribble and score at the rim.

With his shot not falling consistently, Mitchell attacked a long and athletic defense in the second half and  it led to some tough finishes around the rim and opening the floor up for Gobert and Sixth Man of the Year candidate, Jordan Clarkson.

After being down by as many as 16 points, Mitchell realized it was time for him to take over as the star of the the Utah Jazz and he did in a big way. Mitchell scored eight out of the final 10 points of the game for the Jazz, and in a storybook type of finish, dished out the game winning assist to none other than Gobert who would get fouled and head to the free throw line for the game winning points.

The Jazz pulled out a victory after a missed Brandon Ingram three at the buzzer, winning the first game back in the bubble 106-104. Mitchell finished the evening tied for second most points scored the Jazz, totaling 20 points to go along with five assists, five rebounds, and three steals.

Following the game, Mitchell talked with media and had the following to say about his takeover:

"“I tried to find my way and find guys getting open. For me, at the end of the game, it’s about making the right read. I told you I’m trying to become a better passer, a better playmaker as a whole, and just being able to do that in that situation just shows the steps I’m trying to make.”"

Moving forward Utah will need the type of performance they got from Mitchell in the closing minutes of the Pelicans game, and if they get that along with that level of scoring they received from Clarkson, star point guard Mike Conley, and the usual points from Gobert, they could be a dangerous playoff team.

Thursday night was just the beginning of what will hopefully be a few months of safe and entertaining basketball, but it was good to see Mitchell and the Jazz pull out a much needed victory and put the COVID drama behind them.