Donovan Mitchell brings Jazz closer to 2nd playoff round

LOS ANGELES, USA –  The Utah Jazz moved to within one win of clinching their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a convincing 113-96 win in Salt Lake City, on Monday, April 23.

Rookie star Donovan Mitchell made the decisive contribution for Utah with 33 points as Russell Westbrook and Paul George’s Thunder came unstuck.

Utah now leads 3-1 heading into game 5 in Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

All 5 Utah starters made double figures as the Jazz overturned a 30-24 first quarter deficit to tilt the contest in their favor in the second and 3rd periods, outscoring the Thunder 66-43.

George led the scoring for Oklahoma City with 32 points while Westbrook had 23 points and 14 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony finished with 11 points on a night when the Thunder’s offense was effectively contained.

Utah’s Spanish international Ricky Rubio saluted the performance of Mitchell, who belied his age with a composed performance. 

“He’s playing amazing,” Rubio said. “He doesn’t seem like a rookie at all. It’s fun to see it, and it’s fun to help him get better.”

The 27-year-old Rubio, who finished with 13 points, also said the collective defense had helped subdue the potent Oklahoma City line-up.

“We play as a team,” Rubio said. “We did a pretty good job of containing the ball tonight; but winning is the most important thing. We’re here to win games.” – Rappler.com