There was plenty of hype surrounding the playoff debut of Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. Needless to say, the rookie did not disappoint after a stellar performance in the loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
However, there was a scary moment during the game when Mitchell came up hobbling after his foot was stepped on by Thunder forward Corey Brewer. According to ESPN's Royce Young, he has since downplayed the injury and clarified that it was nothing more than a stubbed toe:
“I feel fine. I just stubbed my toe. Nothing major.”
The injury had initially forced Mitchell to exit the game before making his return soon thereafter. However, it was clear that he was still a bit shaken up and head coach Quin Snyder decided to pull him from the game once again.
After much pleading from Mitchell, Snyder eventually allowed the rookie to close out the game. That said, Jazz fans can now breathe a sigh of relief that the injury is nothing too serious at the moment.
Although Utah ultimately came up short in the 108-116 loss, it was a night to remember for Mitchell. He registered 27 points while shooting 11-of-22 from the field. He also managed to tack on 10 rebounds, three assists, and two steals on the night. In fact, Mitchell became the first player since Cleveland Cavaliers star forward LeBron James record at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in their playoff debut. However, it is safe to assume he will have plenty more work to do if the Jazz are going to even out the series on Wednesday.
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