Donovan Mitchell available for Game 6 vs. Mavericks
Donovan Mitchell exits the game in the 4th quarter with an apparent leg injury.
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is available to play Thursday’s Game 6 against the Dallas Mavericks (10 ET, TNT) as he deals with bilateral quadriceps contusions.
The Jazz announced earlier in the week that Mitchell has no damage to his left hamstring after he injured it in Game 5 of the series, which Utah trails 3-2.
Jazz Injury Report:
PROBABLE – Donovan Mitchell (bilateral quadriceps contusions)
OUT – Udoka Azubuike (right ankle surgery)
OUT – Trent Forrest (left midfoot sprain)
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 27, 2022
Mitchell suffered his injury in the fourth quarter of Monday’s 102-77 blowout loss. The three-time All-Star immediately grabbed his left leg upon landing after attempting a leaping pass in traffic.
Mitchell downplayed the injury after the game, telling reporters “I’ll be fine” even as the team announced he would undergo further evaluation on Tuesday in Utah.
“We’ll see how I feel, but I’m a competitor,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell, who averaged 30 points in the first four games, scored just nine and missed all seven of his 3-pointers in Game 5.
Game Recap: Mavericks 102, Jazz 77 (Game 5; Mavs lead 3-2)
“They’ve scrambled extremely hard,” said Mitchell, who is shooting 20% from 3-point range after being well over 40% the past two playoff years. “It’s a lot to continuously run teams off the line, and they’ve done a good job of it. They’ve made us uncomfortable.”
There’s sizable pressure on the Jazz in Game 6 after Mavs star Luka Doncic missed three games in the series. Should Utah be eliminated, it would be reasonable to think that big changes might be on the horizon.
Any compromising effect on Mitchell would only further hinder Utah’s chances at once again tying this series. It seemed possible the Jazz might turn things around after their one-point, Game 4 win on Saturday, decided by an alley-oop from Mitchell to Rudy Gobert.
Instead, Utah came out flat from the start on Tuesday and finished a woeful 3-for-30 from 3-point range. Per ESPN Stats & Info, that is the worst mark by any team with at least 25 attempts in NBA postseason history.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
