Donovan Mitchell answers the call in a Game 2 victory: 3 takeaways

Someone had to step up and put in a virtuoso performance for the Jazz to even the series with the Thunder.

Who are the Jazz going to call? For a Game 2 win in front of a hostile crowd in Oklahoma City, the Jazz called Donovan Mitchell’s name.

The rookie guard had 20 points in the second half alone, helping Utah reclaim the lead in the fourth quarter and carrying the team down the stretch against some of the best players in the league. Derrick Favors added 20 points and 16 rebounds, while Ricky Rubio had 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to help overcome first half foul trouble for Rudy Gobert in a 102-95 win on the road.

Russell Westbrook led the Thunder in scoring with 19 points, but it took him 19 field goal attempts to reach that mark, and the Oklahoma City offense was out of rhythm for most of the game against the prodigious Jazz defense.

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Steven Adams picked up his second foul with just under seven minutes remaining in the game, removing one of the Thunder’s key players early in the quarter. The Jazz’s franchise center, Gobert, picked up his second foul a few minutes later, coming as he tried to prevent Westbrook from scoring, and Billy Donovan sat him down as well. Jae Crowder became the next player to find himself in foul trouble, picking up his third foul with just over one minute remaining in the game. The veteran forward had checked in earlier than he had in Game 1, with Jazz coach Quin Snyder looking to keep Paul George from making as big of an impact as he did in the first game of the series.

Favors stepped up in the first quarter, grabbing five offensive rebounds on his way to nine points and seven rebounds, carrying the load for the Jazz after Gobert took a seat. It seemed like Favors was down near the rim nearly every other possession, cleaning up the missed shots by his teammates. Favors nearly outrebounded the Thunder in the first quarter, a truly impressive performance to start the game.

The second quarter was a bit of a slog, with the second units struggling to maintain an offensive rhythm. Favors had as many offensive rebounds as the Thunder did, continuing to be a physical presence inside the paint for Utah. The Jazz defense forced the Thunder into difficult shots, but the Thunder’s talent was able to get a few shots to drop. Utah carried a seven-point lead into halftime, and that’s with only eight points from Mitchell, who had a quiet first half.

Favors started the second half with a dunk coming off a nice pass by Gobert, and grabbed another offensive rebound shortly after to get to double-digit rebounds for the game. With 6:46 left in the quarter, Adams picked up his fourth foul, leaving the Thunder without their best option to help defend the paint against the Jazz’s intimidating frontline.

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The reigning MVP rose to the challenge after Adams sat, helping spur an 13-2 run by the Thunder with a 3-pointer, a couple steals and assists, and a spinning layup that ignited the Chesapeake Energy Arena crowd. Mitchell had a chance to break their scoreless streak, but he missed an open dunk, and then committed a goaltend on the resulting fastbreak, extending the Thunder run. The streak of missed field goals ended with a layup from Mitchell, and he was able to get Utah within five points by the end of the quarter.

The Jazz were able to rally to reclaim the lead in the first half of the fourth quarter, with a Rubio 3-pointer giving Utah a 85-80 lead with 8:47 remaining. The Jazz were up by one point with just over three minutes to go when Gobert took Adams into the post, and muscled through the Kiwi, drawing a foul that sent Adams out of the game. The Thunder offense went cold down the stretch, with Anthony missing two 3-pointers in the final minute, while on the other end, Mitchell warmed up when it mattered most.

In the end, the Jazz evened up the series as both teams prepare to travel to Salt Lake City.

Takeaways

The foul trouble for both teams defined the game. Adams only played 22 minutes for the Thunder in Game 2, and even when he was on the court, he was limited because he was trying to avoid fouling out of the game. Crowder was on the court for 19 minutes, less than what the Jazz coaching staff would have liked, and played the final half of the fourth quarter with five fouls. Gobert missed time in the first half due to foul trouble, but adapted his game in the second half to finish with just two personal fouls.

When Gobert sat during the second quarter, the Thunder were able to take advantage of his absence on the defensive end to power a run with their bench unit, a lineup that usually struggles to keep pace with the starters. When Adams sat, Mitchell was able to drive into the paint without the fear of his shot being blocked and with the knowledge that the Thunder’s defense was going to collapse on him to counter Adam’s absence.

The Jazz won the fourth quarter, 28-16. They had a tremendous effort on the offensive glass, grabbing about 30 percent of their missed field goals, something they would not have had as much success at if Adams was able to play without worrying about the number of fouls he had. It made a huge difference.

Donovan Mitchell is a stud. It’s incredible how much he has developed in just one season. Whether it’s his work in the film room, weight room or on the court, Mitchell has become the franchise guard for the Jazz, giving them a superstar-caliber talent to play alongside Gobert.

He took another step forward with a big performance in this game. Consider for a moment that he was questionable to play in Game 2 after suffering a foot injury in Game 1. He came out in his second career playoff game and outdueled the reigning MVP, carrying his team to a win on the road in the playoffs.

Whether it was a big rebound, a whirling drive to the rim or just being the guy his teammates trusted to make a play, he was up to the task for Utah. As a rookie, you can’t say enough about his play.

The Jazz frontcourt overwhelmed the Thunder frontcourt. The Thunder are at a size disadvantage against the Jazz, especially when they put Carmelo Anthony at power forward and the Jazz counter with Favors. The Thunder are hoping that Anthony knocks down enough 3-pointers or gets to the free throw line to help negate that advantage for the Jazz, but in Game 2, the former All-Star forward missed seven of his nine 3-point attempts and had four free throw attempts.

Meanwhile, the Jazz big men combined for 13 offensive rebounds, and Utah won the rebounding battle 56-46 for the game.

The Jazz made the Thunder adapt their game plan, forcing them to send more players to the glass to secure defensive rebounds. Even when the Jazz didn’t get the offensive board, they were able to slow down the Thunder’s transition offense by making them work to collect missed shots. That forced the Thunder into halfcourt offense, and the Jazz have one of the best halfcourt defenses in the league.

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On offense, the Jazz were content to attack the paint — they finished with 50 points in the paint for the game. The Jazz drove to the rim or posted up possession after possession, and as a result, attempted 33 free throws. The Thunder had 18 free throw attempts in the game, settling for 3-pointers or midrange jumpers to avoid having to score over Favors and Gobert. That strategy works if your offense shoots over 35 percent on 3-point attempts, but the Thunder shot 31 percent from behind the arc, with the Big Three of Anthony, Westbrook and George combining to shoot 19-58 from the floor.