Utah Jazz celebrity Donovan Mitchell needed to be helped off the floor and to the locker room by teammates during the third quarter of Friday’s match against the Indiana Pacers due to a ideal ankle injury. He didn’t return.
X-rays were negative about Mitchell’s ankle, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Resources told Wojnarowski Mitchell has a low ankle sprain, and there’s early optimism it’s not a major injury. Mitchell will receive an MRI after Friday, with further treatment and evaluation to follow.
The injury occurred with 8:20 left in the quarter. Mitchell jumped to attempt to divert a long outlet pass and came down awkwardly with his foot underneath Pacers shield Edmond Sumner. Mitchell instantly grabbed his lower leg in pain and needed help getting into the locker room, together with teammate Royce O’Neale and a coach behind as Mitchell fought to place weight on his leg.
The All-Star protector was on an offensive tear in the previous month, averaging 31.0 points per match in April with scoring outbursts not completed in a Jazz uniform since Karl Malone. Mitchell had a four-game run of scoring at least 35, together with 40 in all the four matches. He is the latest MVP candidate to return with an injury, potentially reshaping the race once more.
Mitchell, 24, is averaging career-highs nearly across the board in his fourth year with 26.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists for its first-place Jazz.
