Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points on 15 for 29 shooting, including 6 for 12 from three-point range to give the Jazz a 2-0 series lead.
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The Utah Jazz have just held serve at home with two impressive wins over the LA Clippers. Two fiery performances from star Donovan Mitchell, who finished with 37 points in Thursday night’s 117-111 win in front of 18,306 fans at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.
?| Don with 37, Rudy snags 20 rebounds, JC with 24 off the bench and everyone with a whole lotta heart in this one.#podiumpostgame | @podiumhq pic.twitter.com/JcOHlG69NB
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) June 11, 2021
Mitchell scored 37 points on 15 for 29 shooting, including 6 for 12 from three-point range to give the Jazz a 2-0 series lead. Mitchell admitted that he came out with a scorer’s mentality.
?| @spidadmitchell ⤵️
37p | 6 3pm | 4a | 3r pic.twitter.com/MEy5lsbrdV
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) June 11, 2021
“I think tonight was that was my mindset going forward, starting off the game strong,” Mitchell said. “I think my lackluster performance in the first half [of Game 1] on both ends of the floor was huge for them going out there and they get, what, we got down 13, where it was an uphill battle the whole game. So for me, it’s like, OK, I’m going to make my imprint and I think tonight was through scoring.”
Joe Ingles had struggled throughout the playoffs. But in Game 2 he scored 19 points on 7 of 10 shooting, including 4 of 7 from the three-point land. He also tallied four assists, four rebounds and a steal.
?| @joeingles7 ⤵️
19p | 4r | 4a | 4 3pm | 1s pic.twitter.com/BtNnVup2ZM
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) June 11, 2021
The Clippers trailed for nearly the entire game, but they never let the game get out of hand. Their late rally nearly came together, but the Jazz had an even later surge after LA took their first lead of the night.
The Clippers went on a 46-23 run and even took the lead, 101-99, courtesy a three-pointer by Reggie Jackson with 6:37 to go in the fourth quarter. But the Clippers could not finish the job, outscored 14-4 during a five-minute stretch that began just after Jackson’s shot.
The Clippers made only four of their 13 three-pointers in the fourth quarter.
BIG TIME BUCKET. pic.twitter.com/WY266ozOOu
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 11, 2021
Jackson scored a team-high 29 points, including 14 in the third quarter, and Paul George added 27. Kawhi Leonard had 21 points.
The Clippers began cornering Mitchell in the third quarter to get the ball out of his hands. He showed his growth as a playmaker, able to make the right read and execute the pass to get his team in a position to score.
The zonal defense gave Mitchell a bit of trouble in the second half as the Clippers mounted their comeback.
If Mitchell is going to play at this level, the Jazz are going to wreak havoc on opposing defenses and might just find themselves in the NBA Finals.
These two teams will meet again for Game 3 on Sunday.
