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HOUSTON – His slow start weighed heavily on Donovan Mitchell, the second-year guard of the Utah Jazz Star, who keeps up with it. He admitted that he was hurrying, trying to be perfect.
"I was in my head," Mitchell told ESPN after being released from his crash with a 38-point performance and seven assists in Wednesday's 100-89 win over the Houston Rockets. "I did not sleep much."
Mitchell, who shot 34.4% and had more turnovers (10) than attendance (nine) at Utah's first start (1-2), credited some teammates with helping him out. regain form. He went to dinner and watched an extra movie Tuesday night with reservations from Utah, Royce O 'Neale and Ekpe Udoh, two of his best Jazz friends, who echoed the message from coaches and coaches. other teammates to relax and concentrate on reading correctly.
The result was one of the best overall performances of the young career of the runner-up Rookie of the Year last season. The 38 points marked the third most significant game of Mitchell's career. The seven helps correspond to his fourth highest total.
"In the last few games, I fought because I had rather insisted on the issue," Mitchell said. "I entered [Wednesday’s game] with the mentality of just finding the guy open. It was really my biggest thing. Last year, in the playoffs, there were games in which I was too deep or too varied. For me, the simple fact of being able to read correctly from the beginning has allowed me to install and relax a little bit.
"I've always pressured me, whether it's early in the year or whatever, just to be perfect, obviously it's impossible."
Mitchell became the first rookie since Carmelo Anthony to score goals in the playoffs last season. He scored an average of 20.5 points per game. after the departure in free agency of the little attacker All-Star Gordon Hayward.
Mitchell acknowledged being aware of the hype around his blast after his sensational rookie season, but he says the pressure he feels comes from within.
"He likes that pressure, but I do not think he needs that pressure," Jazz said. Joe Ingles said. "We do not need him to score 40 to win a game. … I do not know if this pressure was anything he thought would enter the year or after one or two matches that he was building, but we tried to tell him just to do what he did.
"He's such a good boy.He works hard, plays hard, does everything he has to do.He does not need this pressure.We want him to stay there." aggressive and aggressive, but that he does it somehow in the way we play. "
Mitchell dominated the Rockets by entering the painting, responding to his teammates' encouragement to "downhill attack". He had 10-on-14 in the paint in the win.
But Mitchell was more proud of his defeat than his mark against the Rockets, especially two successful lob passes, a facet of the game that he was looking to improve during the training sessions in the off-season. On several of his aids, Mitchell forced Houston's defense to collapse before finding an open teammate instead of forcing a shot into the traffic.
"It's a guy who can play for others too," said Utah coach Quin Snyder. "You've seen it tonight, he's going to have another bad game this year, but he's going to have a lot more good, he's going to improve all year long, and we will not judge him. not by a good game or a bad game. We just want to see him continue to improve, and that's what he's focusing on as well. "
Mitchell is definitely not satisfied after a spectacular performance. He offered a thorough self-criticism after the victory and stressed the need to play consistently well.
"I've taken some bad shots, that's where I am," said Mitchell, who was 14 out of 25 and made three turnovers. "I had a terrible ball when I was too fast, I was too deep and I returned the ball in the fourth quarter, I missed two free throws I missed once and I I missed a layup on a euro.I am what I look at.If it was last year, maybe it would be a bit like: "Oh, that's cool. But now, it's like: "You had the game. It's over." That's it, now we have to move on to the next one.
"If we lost, I'd say it's a game, I'm going to say the same thing now, it's a game, there's a lot more, I could go back to my old habits in the next game, you know what But when you have teammates who believe in you, it allows you to play for free and play in bulk. "
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