MITCHELL HURT IN UTAH’S WIN
Tough team defense rescued the Utah Jazz after Donovan Mitchell went down with an ankle injury.
The NBA-leading Jazz rallied to beat the Indiana Pacers 119-111 on Friday at home after Mitchell the left game with a sprained ankle in the second half. He scored 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting before spraining his right ankle with 8:18 left in the third quarter.
Jazz 119, Pacers 111
Mitchell could not put any weight on his leg, and teammates helped him off the floor to the locker room. X-rays on the ankle were negative, and he was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Friday evening.
Without Mitchell on the f loor, the Jazz clamped down defensively to win their second straight game. Utah allowed Indiana to score on only 10 total possessions over the final 15 minutes.
“It’s always tough to see one of your guys go down. Donovan, in particular, is so important to our team,” point guard Mike Conley said. “He’s what makes us go. I was proud of the way we responded with Donovan going down.”
The Jazz erased a doubledigit deficit and tied it at 89 heading into the fourth quarter on back-to-back baskets from Clarkson.
Utah overtook Indiana for good with a 10-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back baskets from Bogdanovic, to take a 108-99 lead. Utah held Indiana scoreless on eight straight possessions over 4 1/2 minutes during the decisive burst.
“Everything was better in the second half and it did change momentum in the game,” center Rudy Gobert said. “It fueled our offense.”
Domantas Sabonis had 22 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists for the Pacers.
76ers 106, Clippers 103:
Joel Embiid had 36 points and 14 rebounds and host Philadelphia beat the Clippers, snapping Los Angeles’ seven-game winning streak. Furkan Korkmaz added 18 points and Ben Simmons had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Eastern Conference-leading Sixers, who have won four in a row.
Paul George had 37 points and nine rebounds for the visiting Clippers, who last lost on April 1.
Nets 130, Hornets 115:
Kevin Durant had 25 points and 11 assists, Joe Harris scored 26 points and Brooklyn beat visiting Charlotte.
Nuggets 128, Rockets 99:
Nikola Jokic scored 29 points, Michael Porter Jr. added 21 and Denver cruised to a victory over Houston on the road.
Grizzlies 126, Bulls 115:
Dylan Brooks scored a season-high 32 points and Memphis took control in the second half to beat host Chicago.
Timberwolves 119, Heat
111: Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points, including eight in the fourth quarter before fouling out, to lead host Minnesota to a win against Miami.
Raptors 113, Magic 102:
Paul Watson Jr. scored 20 of his career-high 30 points in the third quarter and Toronto pulled away to a victory over Orlando at Tampa, Fla.
Wizards 117, Pelicans 115:
Russell Westbrook scored 10 of Washington’s 12 points in overtime, including a pair of free throws to break a tie with just one second left after he was fouled by Zion Williamson, and host Washington edged New Orleans.
Pistons 110, Thunder 104:
Josh Jackson scored 29 points, and host Detroit overcame several key absences to beat Oklahoma City, handing the Thunder their ninth straight loss.
Trail Blazers 107, Spurs 106: CJ McCollum scored 29 points and Portland escaped with a victory over host San Antonio, which missed three shots on its final possession.
Knicks 117, Mavericks 109: Julius Randle scored 44 points to lead visiting New York past Dallas.
Notable
Three-time NBA champion and 13-time all-star Dwyane Wade purchased an ownership stake with the Jazz, the team announced. Wade played in the league from 2003 to 2019, primarily for the Heat, and has functioned as an off-the-court mentor for Mitchell.
• Veteran center DeMarcus Cousins signed his second 10-day contract with the Clippers, the team announced hours before tipoff against Philadelphia.