Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is no stranger to the NBA Rising Stars Challenge. After making his debut at All-Star weekend last year in the game, Mitchell was back for more Friday night, slamming home a gorgeous no-look dish from Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma early on in the contest.
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— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 16, 2019
Mitchell and Kuzma got to tag team the game together last year as well when both were members of the 2018 NBA rookie class. Mitchell shot 3-for-10 overall, off to a much better start already during this year’s installment.
Of course, Mitchell got to put his dunking prowess on display last season the following night as well during the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, which he won over Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr in the finals. Mitchell won’t be back to defend his crown this year, allowing four youngsters — John Collins, Dennis Smith Jr., Miles Bridges and Hamidou Diallo — to take their shot at winning the crown.
Instead, Mitchell will reserve his energy for the second half of the NBA season. His Jazz are currently hanging onto the sixth seed in the Western Conference, although the standings can fluctuate on nearly a nightly basis. Mitchell is averaging 22.4 points and 4.0 assists per game, managing to increase upon his dynamic rookie totals.
Unfortunately, Mitchell will have to retire from the Rising Stars Challenge after this season, again giving way to youngsters to have the spotlight. After two explosive NBA seasons, Mitchell can now eye a place in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game come 2019-20.
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