Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell had to be helped by teammates in the third quarter of Friday’s game against the Indiana Pacers due to an injury to his right ankle. He didn’t come back.
X-rays were negative on Mitchell’s ankle, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Sources also said that Wojnarowski Mitchell has a low sprain in his ankle and there is an early optimism that it is not a major injury. Mitchell will receive an MRI later Friday, following further treatment and evaluation.
“Obviously, we hope it’s nothing serious,” said coach Quin Snyder, “but I’m in the process of doing everything I can to evaluate this.”
The injury occurred with 8:20 left in the quarter. Mitchell jumped to try to deflect a long pass and went down stinger under Pacers guard Edmond Sumner. Mitchell immediately gripped his leg in pain and needed help to get to the locker room, with teammate Royce O’Neale and a coach supporting him, while Mitchell struggled to put weight on his right leg.
Mitchell came out with 22 points in 21 minutes against the Pacers. The All-Star guard has been in an offensive tear last month, averaging 31.0 points per game in April, with marked outbursts that were not made in Karl Malone’s Jazz uniform. Mitchell had a four-game run, scoring at least 35, with 40 in three of the four games. He is the latest MVP candidate to come down with an injury, potentially reshaping the race again.
Behind a monster in two second halves from Rudy Gobert (13 points, 23 rebounds and four blocks), the Jazz overcame Mitchell’s injury to defeat the Pacers, 119-111.
Mitchell, 24, averages his career highs in his fourth season with 26.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists for Jazz in first place.