The league-leading Utah Jazz made light work of the Indiana Pacers for their victory on Friday night. However, they had to pay a hefty price for the victory, as their star man Donovan Mitchell hobbled off the court with an ankle injury in the second half of the game.
The 24-year-old had to be helped up by teammates, after which he was seen clutching his ankle and writhing in pain. If this injury is anything serious, then this will be a huge blow for the high-flying Jazz. “Obviously we hope that it’s nothing serious,” coach Quin Snyder said, “but they’re in the process of doing everything they can do to assess that.”
NBA insider, Adrian Wojnarowski, reports that the initial X-rays have shown that there are no major issues. Subsequently, it is just a low ankle sprain. However, one cannot be too sure before complete evaluation is complete. The injury occurred in the second half of the game and the Jazz had to play without him for the rest of the game.
Utah Jazz coast to a comfortable win despite the loss of Donovan Mitchell
After Mitchell hobbled off to the locker room, the Jazz had to be more resilient in defense and not let the Pacers off the hook. Everything went according to plan, and the Utah outfit walked away with yet another win tucked under their belt.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – APRIL 16: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz in action during a game against the Indiana Pacers
Rudy Gobert came up big in the second half, after Mitchell’s departure. He finished with 13 points and a whopping 23 rebounds for his side. Apart from him, Bojan Bogdanovic contributed heavily to the win. He finished the game with 24 points and three rebounds to his name.
In the post-game press conference, Mike Conley talked about Mitchell’s injury. He said, “It’s always tough to see one of your guys go down. Donovan, in particular, is so important to our team. He’s what makes us go. … I was proud of the way we responded with Donovan going down.”
The Utah Jazz is at the top of the Western Conference standings. At the moment, they are considered as one of the title contenders. Moreover, they will look forward to performing well in the postseason with their present form.
