Tune-In Tidbits: ABC Saturday, June 12, 2021
Donovan Mitchell is averaging 41 points on 52.5% shooting through the first two games of the series.
Game 3: Jazz at Clippers
8:30 p.m. ET, ABC | Jazz lead 2-0
• Donovan Mitchell (41.0 ppg) has nearly matched the scoring production of the Clippers’ All-Star duo of Kawhi Leonard (23.5 ppg) and Paul George (22.0 ppg) single-handedly. Mitchell followed up his 45-point performance in Game 1 with 37 in Game 2 – his fourth consecutive game with at least 30 points in the playoffs. The last player with a longer such streak in the playoffs was Leonard, who had five straight 30+ point games against Dallas last year.
• Utah matched its franchise record with 20 3-pointers made (in 39 attempts, 51.3%) in their Game 2 win. Between the regular season and playoffs, the Jazz have made at least 20 3-pointers an NBA-high 18 times this season and gone 15-3 in those games. Donovan Mitchell (6-12) and Jordan Clarkson (6-9) combined for more 3-pointers made (12) than the entire Clippers team, who shot 11-30 (36.7%) from beyond the arc in Game 2.
• The Clippers have generated more wide-open 3-pointers (16 per game) than the Jazz (14 per game), but have not been able to knock down the open looks (closest defender more than six feet away). LA is shooting just 28.1% (13-32) while the Jazz are shooting 42.9% (12-28). During the regular season, the Clippers shot a league-best 44.4% on wide-open 3s, while the Jazz shot 42.4% (4th).
• Five different Clippers – Paul George, Reggie Jackson, Patrick Beverley, Kawhi Leonard and Marcus Morris Sr. – defended Donovan Mitchell between 1:52 and 2:58 of matchup time. Mitchell was most successful against George, scoring 11 points on 4-7 FG, 2-4 3P and 1-2 FT in 2:58 (tied with Jackson for most matchup time). Beverley was the only one to hold Mitchell scoreless as he had just one field goal attempt and two turnovers in 2:41 against Beverley.
• How big of a deterrent has Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert been at the basket for the Clippers? In the series, LA has shot just 47.1% (8-17) at the rim against Gobert, but the bigger impact may be the number of shots he’s not facing. During the regular season, the Clippers shot on 44.2% of their drives to the basket; in the first round against Dallas, they shot on 43.4% of their drives; in two games against Utah, the Clippers have shot on just 35.4% of their drives.
