Heading into the Jazz’s first-round series against the Nuggets, All-Star Donovan Mitchell knew he had to step up. The blue and gold were decided underdogs against the West third seeds even at full strength, so he needed to pick up the slack in the absence of erstwhile starters Mike Conley, Jr. and Bojan Bogdanovic. The good news was that he did, winding up with a whopping 57 markers (on 19-of-33 and perfect 13-of-13 shooting from the field and from the line, respectively) to go with nine boards and seven dimes. And, in so doing, he managed to take the measure of the opposition despite limited help.
To argue that Mitchell was spectacular, especially in light of how the fourth quarter unveiled, would be to understate the obvious. He wasn’t just directing the Jazz’s attack in the last nine minutes of the period; he was the Jazz’s attack, period. With the Nuggets keeping pace, he hit six of seven attempts from the floor and all six of his tries from the stripe. And in also dishing out two assists, he proved responsible for every single one of their last 27 points in regulation. As things turned out, though, his efforts weren’t enough — in part because of a costly miscue that could well have been avoided.
The Jazz would go on to lose yesterday’s set-to in overtime, with Mitchell acknowledging the impact of his eight-second violation on the outcome. They were then up by four, and his inability to keep track of the time he needed to clear the background gave the competition life with 1:46 left on the clock. Indeed, the Nuggets, courtesy of red-hot Jamal Murra, would hit a trey in the ensuing possession, then force extra time, and ultimately prevail pulling away. As he noted, “that’s my fault as a leader and as a point guard … That’s terrible on my part.” And he’s right. It didn’t occur to him that a couple of ticks were lopped off the time after the ball went out of bounds off a Rudy Robert rebound that was swatted away. He simply assumed he could walk up as he normally does, hence the easy whistle of referee Scott Foster.
It wouldn’t be fair to say the Jazz were deflated after the faux pas. They did battle until the very end, after all. They understood how close they came to victory, though, and once the Nuggets managed to get an advantage early in overtime, the disappointment was evident. “That really changed the entire game, that sequence right there,” Mitchell admitted. Still, he remained upbeat about their chances, and not just because Conley figures to return to the bubble at some point in the best-of-seven affair. “At the end of the day, we’re not overreacting. It’s one game.” Perhaps. In a sport where the capacity to seize momentum and the moment is key to success, they might well have seen their best opportunity already pass them by.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
