Utah Jazz teammates Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell squared off against one another on Wednesday for a quarterfinal matchup at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Although Mitchell and Team USA were slightly favored, it was Gobert and French National Team that came away with the win, 89-79.
During his post-game media availability, Gobert noted that Mitchell's loss at this year's tournament will make him a better player:
“I think this experience is going to make Donovan better. We have to go hard when we go for the national team, but we also have to go that way with Utah. I’m excited for both.”
Gobert played extremely well against the smaller American side, scoring 21 points, 16 rebounds, two assists and three blocks in just over 34 minutes of action. Mitchell, on the other hand, was Team USA's leading scorer, finishing with 29 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 31 minutes of playing time.
“This win won’t mean much if we don’t win the gold. But it will go down as one of the biggest in my career and one of the biggest for French basketball,” Gobert added.
Gobert and Mitchell will be looking to make another playoff run with the Jazz in the coming season. Last season, Utah finished with an impressive 50-32 overall record, earning a No. 5 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. Unfortunately, though, the Jazz saw their postseason run come to an end when they were defeated by the Houston Rockets in the first round, 4-1.
Follow Us
Subscribe