Jazz rally to beat Pacers after Donovan goes down
Tough team defense rescued the Utah Jazz after Donovan Mitchell went down with an ankle injury.
The NBAleading Jazz rallied to beat the visiting Indiana Pacers 119111 on Friday after Mitchell the left game with a sprained ankle in the second half. He scored 22 points on 7of15 shooting before spraining his right ankle with 8:18 left in the third quarter.
Mitchell could not put any weight on his leg, and teammates helped him off the floor to the locker room. Xrays on the ankle were negative, and he was scheduled to undergo an MRI exam Friday evening.
Without Mitchell, 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.”
Before the game, Utah announced that threetime NBA champion Dwyane Wade, who was at the game, purchased an ownership stake with the Jazz. Wade played in the league from 2003 to 2019, primarily for the Miami Heat, and has functioned as an offthecourt mentor for Mitchell.
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Nets 130, Hornets 115:
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Knicks 117, Mavericks
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