Donovan Mitchell To Return For Game 2

Jazz star Donovan Mitchell will be available to play in Game 2 vs. Memphis on Wednesday, the team announced today.

Mitchell – who was a full participant in practice on Monday, per Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link) – missed Game 1 on Sunday and hasn’t played at all since April 16 due to a right ankle sprain.

We’re still more than 48 hours away from tip-off in Utah, so there was no urgency to announce a decision on Mitchell right away. However, with reports indicating that the 24-year-old was angry at the team for holding him out of Game 1, today’s announcement may represent a step toward easing tensions.

Based on those earlier reports, it sounds like Mitchell’s own trainers and the Jazz’s training staff may not have been on the same page regarding his readiness. Mitchell spoke on Sunday as if he would play in Game 1 before Utah officially ruled him out.

Facing a 1-0 defect in their series against the Grizzlies, the Jazz will welcome the return of their leading scorer. Mitchell averaged a career-best 26.4 points to go along with 5.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 53 games (33.4 MPG) in 2020/21.

View Comments (5)