Utah Jazz-OKC Thunder: Donovan Mitchell returns to battle Russell Westbrook

With Donovan Mitchell expected to make his return for the Utah Jazz, the rookie guard will be tasked with counteracting Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook.

On Thursday, the Utah Jazz managed to do something that it’s probably not a stretch to say few would have expected. They beat the San Antonio Spurs. Now, they seek to level the season series with the Oklahoma City Thunder in their fourth and final bout with Russell Westbrook and Co.

In this game, however, they should have their best perimeter player back on the court to help counteract the 2017 NBA MVP.

According to the team’s Friday injury report, Mitchell is probable to play on Saturday against OKC. The first-year phenom has missed back-to-back games with a toe contusion.

While it’s always a good thing to get your best scorer back, Mitchell’s return would be particularly well-timed here. Although the Jazz will employ a gang mentality in stopping Westbrook, Mitchell will undoubtedly get his turn should he play. He’s one of only a handful of players league-wide really equipped to deal with Westbrook from a length/speed standpoint.

In the team’s last game against OKC — sans Mitchell — Westbrook scored a game-high 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting in just 27 minutes of play. The Thunder decimated a road-weary Jazz squad in every phase of the game anyway, but Mitchell’s absence loomed large.

More from The J-Notes

• With the FIBA World Cup over for Simone Fontecchio, it’s clear he deserves minutes for the Utah Jazz
• Best, Worst and Most likely scenarios for the Utah Jazz this season
• Hoops Hype downplays the significance of the Utah Jazz’s valuable assets
• 3 Utah Jazz players who have the most to gain or lose this season
• Former Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gay is a free agent still and it shouldn’t surprise anyone

Of course, there’s generally no stopping Westbrook; it’s more about providing speed bumps on his way to another triple-double. What Mitchell can do, however, is work to nullify him on the other end of the floor.

When the two teams met on December 4 (a 100-94 Jazz loss), Mitchell dropped 31 points, hitting five 3-pointers in the process, and added four assists and five steals. Westbrook had one of his better games this season, but the Jazz were still plus-four when Mitchell was in the game.

If he can put out another big effort and the Jazz can draw even with OKC’s big three, they’ll have a shot at winning their second consecutive game.

Although he had a big night earlier this month, Mitchell did committ some key turnovers down the stretch that helped the Thunder capture the win. As such, and given his recent absence, look for him to double his efforts this time around.