Mitchell nets 32, rallies Jazz past Knicks for 3rd straight
Feb 7, 2022, 6:58 AM | Updated: 10:02 pm
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots as New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Donovan Mitchell had 32 points, seven rebounds, and six assists to lead the Utah Jazz to a 113-104 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday night.
Mitchell also had four steals to help rally the Jazz to their third straight win. He played 36 minutes and felt exhausted by game’s end while playing in only his second game back after an eight-game absence while in concussion protocol. But Mitchell hustled right down to the end to help break open a tight game.
“Honestly, being out you can see a lot of different things — what’s needed, what we can do better, what’s going wrong,” Mitchell said. “For me, (I’m) finding ways I can impact the game outside of scoring, outside of stuff on offense — or even if it is on offense, little things.”
Bojan Bogdanovic finished with 20 points for the Jazz. Mike Conley had 18 points and seven assists, and Jordan Clarkson scored 16.
Julius Randle scored 30 points to lead New York. Mitchell Robinson added a season-high 19 points, a career-high 21 rebounds and three blocks. R.J. Barrett had 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, and Evan Fournier had 16 points as the Knicks lost their third straight game.
New York has lost nine of 11 overall.
“We’re six under. 500, but I think we’re still fighting for something,” Barrett said. “Every team has their stretches, they lose three or win three or whatever. It’s not the end of the world.”
The Knicks lost on the road after holding a lead to start the fourth quarter for just the third time this season. New York shot 5 of 20 over the final 12 minutes while committing six turnovers.
“Your margin of error on the road is a lot smaller,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I thought our turnovers put them in the open floor and they got easy buckets off them.”
The Jazz twice rallied from 12-point deficits and opened the fourth quarter with a 16-6 run to take a 98-92 lead. Royce O’Neale hit back-to-back 3-pointers — his first baskets of the game — to cap the run.
New York cut the deficit to 98-97 following a three-point play by Alec Burks. Mitchell fed Udoka Azubuike and Bogdanovic for baskets to preserve the lead for the Jazz. He grabbed an offensive rebound to set up the first, and stole the ball to set up the second.
He capped off a 7-0 run with a three-point play, putting Utah up 105-97 with 1:08 left.
“We know what he can do offensively,” Conley said. “When we see (those plays), it just gets us all going. We’re very excited with the way he approached tonight and finished the game.”
The Jazz built a 10-point lead early in the third quarter when Azubuike dunked to put Utah up 68-58. Then the Jazz went cold on offense, scoring a single basket over a six-minute stretch. Utah missed 13 of 14 shots and committed five turnovers in that span, allowing for a run by the Knicks.
New York surged ahead behind a 24-2 outburst. Randle capped off the run with back-to-back baskets that gave the Knicks an 82-70 lead. He scored 15 points in the quarter.
Utah rallied, in part, by allowing only six total baskets over the final 15 minutes.
“It’s hard to raise your level, particularly in a game that’s that physical,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “But I thought our competitive level just kept going up as the game went on.”
TIP INS
Knicks: Quentin Grimes (left knee soreness) and Kemba Walker (left knee soreness) sat out. … Robinson finished with at least 20 rebounds for the second time in his NBA career. … New York had just 11 bench points.
Jazz: Rudy Gay (right knee soreness) and Rudy Gobert (left calf strain) did not play. … Azubuike is averaging 11.7 rebounds over his last three games. He finished with a career-high 14 boards against New York and added a career-high three blocks.
UP NEXT
Knicks: Visit the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.
Jazz: Host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
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