Mitchell: Simmons will rebound after bad game

The two favorites for NBA Rookie of the Year publicly tweaked each other last month, but right now Donovan Mitchell is in Ben Simmons’ corner.

The Jazz guard offered support for his 76ers counterpart after Simmons suffered through a poor performance in Game 2 against the Celtics on Thursday. He committed five turnovers and scored just one point as the 76ers lost their second straight game in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Mitchell, who helped the Jazz pull even against the Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals by totaling 17 points and 11 assists Wednesday in Houston, reminded reporters before Game 3 on Friday “every player has that night” that Simmons endured.

“You look at LeBron (James) against the Mavs in the (2011) Finals — he had eight points (in Game 4),” Mitchell said. “There was one year I was watching (James) Harden play against the Warriors, and he had about 10 turnovers in a playoff game. So it happens to everybody. It’s not as easy as some people think.

“It just so happens that it happened to (Simmons), and I expect him to respond. He can’t play great every night, (but) he’s a good player. Good players respond ... it’s a testament to (their) character.”

Mitchell’s support comes after a brief exchange between the two toward the end of the regular season.

When asked which rookies impressed him this season, Simmons blatantly said, “None.” Those four letters were followed up with a six-letter word that even came with a definition Mitchell had stamped on his hoodie, suggesting that Simmons, who was drafted in 2016 but missed the entire 2016-17 season because of injury, isn’t a real “rookie.”