Alternately inflammatory and ‘altruistic as hell’ Donovan Mitchell takes Utah Jazz to fifth straight win

It was a simple missed free throw from Tristan Thompson. That’s okay – you secure the rebound, get the ball back up the field, set up a play, try to execute patiently.

Nope. Donovan Mitchell had other ideas.

The All-Star guard grabbed the board and sprinted off, shocking Celtics defenders as he attacked the lane.

They were so caught off guard by his aggressive transition that they didn’t notice Joe Ingles standing alone in the right corner. Mitchell did, however, throwing the ball to him for a 3 that slowly settled through the net and turned a meager four-point lead into seven points with just over 3 minutes left to play Tuesday night at Vivint. Arena.

Not quite a minute later, he inspected the scene from the left wing and entered a 3-point rainbow at 30 feet – a bucket that simultaneously set the Jazz in place 11 and knocked down. the House. There was 2:09 on the clock, but it was indeed the ball game.

Final Count: Utah Jazz 122, Boston Celtics 108. Five-game winning streak and 16 in the last 17 games. Also, an NBA-best 20-5 record.

Mitchell certainly didn’t do it all on his own – Rudy Gobert dominated both ends, making 8 of 9 shots and racking up 18 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and three assists; Joe Ingles let out some aggression on the field, making 11 3-point tries and hitting the free throw line for 10 attempts en route to a 24-point, six-assist performance; Bojan Bogdanovic struck in a timely manner and boxed for eight rebounds; even Miye Oni had some spectacular defensive streaks keeping All-Star Jayson Tatum, who shot just 7 for 20 on the night.

So, no, Mitchell didn’t do it on his own. But the Jazz certainly couldn’t have won this match without taking their game to another level.

“With how good he is offensively,” said Ingles, “the last five minutes there was no way we were just going to give it to him and let him create.

What he did – again and again.

In case anyone on the court didn’t know his Rainbow 3 was the coda of the game, Mitchell took the point home on the next possession with a 3 drop for the last of his 36 points. . And on the next possession, when he threw an alley-oop at Gobert. And on the following possession, too, when his ninth assist of the game produced another Gobert alley.

He ended the game contributing 20 of Utah’s last 21 points – either scoring himself or helping out someone else’s bucket.

“What comes into play is the confidence factor that I have had since coming here from my teammates and coaches. And in me. I will always be confident in my abilities and in what I can do; but the confidence factor keeps me in that position, ”Mitchell said. “… Winning is everything. And I’m going to go out there and make the plays that are necessary, whether it’s scoring, some days it goes – there will be games where I go 0 for 10, 0 for 15. But, “by any means necessary” is pretty much the motto I have. You just have to find ways to win the game, and everything else will take care of itself.

As Mike Conley missed a second game in a row with right hamstring strain, it was up to Mitchell and Ingles to fill the game void again.

When asked where Mitchell had improved the most during his four years in Utah, Gobert had an immediate and decisive answer.

“The decision-making. He’s really able to understand the pace of the game and find his teammates,” explained the center. “I think he’s improved every year. But this year is really where I feel – especially the last few weeks – when he’s been at his best, and when he does that the team takes it to another level.

“First and foremost he’s selfless as hell,” said the Australian. “… I think he saw damn near every blanket you could possibly throw at him.” They changed with him, they blitzed him – being as smart as him as a player, being able to read the game, and then obviously disinterestedness is something that ties it all together for him.

Coach Quin Snyder noted that Mitchell’s progress isn’t just year over year, but, lately, even “possession by possession.”

“His efficiency in the pick-and-roll is something he’s very proud of. His ability to involve people and to choose his places – especially when he feels the game and [is] don’t force yourself into the game, ”Snyder added. “Donovan, like our team, he just wants to improve and he won’t be happy.”