The Los Angeles Clippers doused some cold water on the blazing Utah Jazz on Friday night, ending their nine-game winning streak with a 116-112 victory. Despite the Jazz suffering just their second defeat in the last 22 games, Donovan Mitchell still took some positives in what he called “a bump in the road.”

Article Continues Below
Related News
Baylor Bears guard VJ Edgecombe (7) passes the ball away from Mississippi State Bulldogs forward Cameron Matthews (4) during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center.
Ranking 3 best VJ Edgecombe destinations in 2025 NBA DraftSpencer See ·
New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) dribbles the ball against Utah Jazz power forward Derrick Favors (15) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Utah won 114-109.
Carmelo Anthony reveals he was almost traded to Jazz instead of KnicksZachary Howell ·
Austin Reaves photoshopped in Jazz jersey.
Jazz trade proposal for Austin Reaves in offseason amid Lakers rumorsBailey Bassett ·
denver nuggets, kevin durant, lauri markkanen, myles turner
3 early Denver Nuggets trade targets in 2025 NBA offseasonGarrett Kerman ·
image thumbnail
1 player Denver Nuggets must trade in 2025 NBA offseasonGarrett Kerman ·
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) dunks against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center.
76ers rumors: Kevin Durant, Lauri Markkanen linked to Paul George trade packagesTroy Finnegan ·

Via Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune:

“I think that’s one we can look at and say, ‘OK, how do we fix these mistakes?’” said Mitchell, who scored 15 points in the third quarter to make the game competitive, then dropped in a ridiculous 10 points in the game’s final 35.4 seconds to nearly pull off the incredible comeback. “… This is a bump in the road, and a good one, in my opinion. I think this is something we can look at and say, ‘OK, we stayed with them, but this is what separated the game.’ And I’m proud of the way that we played and competed.”

This is the right kind of mindset the Jazz need from their franchise star. There is no need to make any overreactions or make complete disregard of what Utah has accomplished through the first two months of the regular season.

The Jazz have definitely turned some heads with their outstanding play and should still be viewed as a legitimate threat in the Western Conference. As Mitchell said, they still hung in there despite falling behind by 13 points with 2:28 remaining in the fourth quarter. Led by Mitchell's two triples in the span of five seconds, Utah trimmed the lead by as little as two points, before the Clippers closed the deal with freethrows.

Despite the defeat, their late game surge says a lot about their character and is a point of growth for an aspiring championship Jazz squad. There will be bumps in the road as Mitchell said. But their response to these mini-hiccups and adversity down the road will be key moving forward.