Jazz star Donovan Mitchell will miss Sunday’s Game 1 against the Grizzlies despite being cleared to return earlier in the day, the team announced (Twitter link). Mitchell is recovering from a sprained ankle.
“I’m ready to go tonight,” Mitchell said after the team’s shootaround. “No pain. I’m excited to get going.”
Mitchell has missed over a month due to the injury and was cleared for full practice last Thursday. While he declared himself ready to return to action, it seems the team has decided to hold him out a little longer.
“There’s always going to be soreness when you come back from an injury like this,” Mitchell acknowledged. “There are things that haven’t been activated in five weeks, but I feel good.”
Mitchell averaged 26.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game in a career-best season this year. Despite his late-season absence, Utah still finished with the best record in the league at 52-20 and has games against Memphis on Wednesday, Saturday and next Monday in the series.
I can understand holding him out of game one because game two isn’t until Wednesday. Three more days to heal up. Makes sense if you look at it that way.
We’ll see what the Jazz look like without him. I say not good and the Griz win by 20 tonight.
Why would Memphis win by 20? They barely even beat the Warriors in OT.
Even without Mitchell the Jazz are way better than Golden State this year.
Wow Jazz favored by 8 tonight. I’d be all over that with Mitchell out.
Geez it’s almost as if the Jazz weren’t 13-6 without Mitchell this season. Or 3-0 against the Grizz including 1 game without Mitchell.
he didn’t say the jazz would lose, just betting that they don’t cover.
Look above very 1st post, he said they’d win by 20
$#!+.
GWRS was 15% right. Gotta give the Grizzles the credit they deserve.
Well they did, right?
I thought with UTA avoiding LAL, POR & GSW would make it out of R1, but they will still lose to MEM… SMH!!!
Rudy Gobert should be punished for that flop against Kyle Anderson in the closing minutes. Was on the sidelines, walked over and bumped Kyle after a Jazz basket then flopped like Kyle hit him.
Double penalty – leaving the bench AND flopping. Just play the game.
Well the Grizz were up 15 with 8 minutes to go so you have to give it to the Jazz for the excellent effort to get back in the game.
Bogjanovich shook off the one week rust and started nailing threes so did Conley with a couple. Great game…, but I don’t think Memphis will win again.