#7 – Rubio goes off in overtime thriller against Portland – November 1
Ricky Rubio came up clutch for the Jazz and Donovan Mitchell put up a then career-high as Utah toppled the Blazers in overtime 112-103.
This contest came early in the year, so early that Donovan Mitchell wasn’t even an official starter for the Jazz just yet. However, this game marked an enormous turning point as Rodney Hood went 0-of-11 from the field and was benched down the stretch while Mitchell thrived. He finished the game with a then career-high 28 points.
Mitchell led the Jazz and kept them afloat during a seesaw affair that saw 14 ties, 17 lead changes and no double digit leads. However, when the game ended up tied after four periods (thanks to an incredible Rudy Gobert block to stop Damian Lillard at the end of regulation), it was Ricky Rubio who emerged as the hero. He went off for 11 points in overtime, to finish with a then season-high 30 on the night.
No shot was bigger than the three-pointer Rubio hit in overtime to give the Jazz a commanding seven-point lead with just over 30 seconds left in the contest. His clutch performance in overtime was his best early game as a Jazzman and was the perfect way to end what had been a closely contested bout throughout.
Rubio’s surge helped the Jazz score 18 total points in overtime, which was more than they had scored in the entire second quarter (17). The combined effort of Rubio and Donovan Mitchell propelled the Jazz to a 112-103 overtime victory that was easily the most exciting game for the Jazz in the month of November.