Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell takes responsibility after Game 3 loss

Following the Utah Jazz’s disheartening Game 3 loss on Friday, Donovan Mitchell took responsibility and vowed to play better in upcoming games.

Friday night was a discouraging evening for Utah Jazz fans. Less than two days removed from a stunning Game 2 victory in Houston, the Jazz were absolutely obliterated in Game 3 by a score of 113-92 after trailing by as many as 38 points. It was a complete reversal from the team that we saw on Wednesday as the entire Jazz roster came out flat-footed. The offense couldn’t find a rhythm, the defense was putrid and the energy was non-existent.

In reality, it was an entire team failure across the board as the Jazz were completely out-matched by a focused and determined Houston Rockets team. However, one player who particularly struggled was the typically steady rookie Donovan Mitchell.

Despite playing exceptionally well throughout the playoffs, Mitchell had his first real dud on Friday night. He finished the game with a postseason-low 10 points on a horrendous 4-of-16 shooting. On some nights when he’s been inefficient, he’s been able to still come up big in key moments and contribute in other ways. That just wasn’t the case in Game 3. On top of it all, Mitchell would ultimately finish the night an abhorrent minus-31, the worst mark on the team.

It was a discouraging site for Jazz fans and Mitchell’s teammates alike who have certainly grown accustomed to seeing the rookie excel regardless of the odds.

And while it’s completely unfair to cast the blame for the loss entirely on Mitchell – his teammates deserve just as much blame, as does the Rockets’ near-perfect execution – Donovan certainly didn’t see it that way. In his post-game interview, he had some extremely blunt remarks about his performance in the contest:

"“I was minus-31. I didn’t really do much as a whole. I wasn’t there. That can’t happen. I would have been better off not showing up. I didn’t show up for my teammates. I’ll fix it.”"

It was both sad to see Donovan be so hard on himself, but also incredible to see a young rookie be so willing to shoulder such an immense load for his team. Mitchell knows better than anyone that he didn’t perform nearly as well as he’s capable of or nearly as well as his team needed him to. But rather than make excuses or point fingers, Utah’s leading scorer simply stated, “I’ll fix it.”

Those three words said more than just about anything else the rookie could have uttered. And the fact that he’s willing to take the blame for such a key loss, especially as a first-year player, but also is now willing to prove his resilience next game, speaks volumes about his leadership role on this team and the unwavering desire he has to lead this team to the greatest of heights.

The reaction and poise he showed following Friday’s loss make one thing exceptionally clear – Donovan Mitchell is far from your average rookie.

And regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s Game 4, I fully expect Donovan to live up to his promise to “fix it.” Win or lose, I believe we’ll see a much better individual effort from him. The Rockets game planned well against him in Game 3, but he also tried to force things and played outside of his strengths. He has shown an ability to bounce back before and should be more than ready to take on this Rockets team.

Not to mention, if recent news that Ricky Rubio is likely to return for Game 4 is to be believed, that will likely only serve to further aid the young rookie in his cause. Either way, expect an incredible effort from the young man that has fully accepted the responsibility of leading this Jazz team.

Next: Utah Jazz ‘optimistic’ about Ricky Rubio for Game 4

The Jazz and Rockets tip-off on Sunday at 6:00 PM MT within the friendly confines of Vivint Smart Home Arena.

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