FILE – Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz looks on during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Vivint Smart Home Arena on January 19, 2021 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Alex Goodlett/Getty Images/AFP
Donovan Mitchell led seven Utah Jazz players in double figures with 31 points as the visiting Utah Jazz bounced back after a rare loss to beat the Orlando Magic 124-109 Saturday night.
Mitchell hit five 3-pointers and dished out six assists for Utah, which turned a four-point halftime lead into a blowout victory. The Jazz hit 17 of 45 3s and shot 52.9 percent overall to win for the 12th time in 14 games.
Donovan Mitchell drops 25 of his 31 PTS in the 2nd half! 🔥@spidadmitchell x @utahjazz pic.twitter.com/qF3yEKadF5
— NBA (@NBA) February 28, 2021
The Jazz fell at Miami in Friday night.
Jordan Clarkson continued his Sixth Man of the Year quest with 18 points off the bench. All-Star center Rudy Gobert contributed 12 points, 16 rebounds, three assists and two blocks, Joe Ingles added 17 points and seven assists, and Georges Niang fired in 13 points. The Jazz also got 10 points apiece from Bojan Bogdanovic and Derrick Favors.
All-Star Nikola Vucevic was a one-man wrecking crew for Orlando, scoring 34 points with eight rebounds and four assists. Evan Fournier chipped in 16 points.
After a back-and-forth first half, the Jazz came out of the locker room playing like a team that has now won 23 of 26 games. Utah took a 72-59 lead thanks to an 8-0 run, which included six points from Mitchell, and then stretched that to a 79-61 advantage after another Mitchell 3 and free throws from Bogdanovic.
Orlando worked the lead down to eight at 90-82 after Mo Bamba hit two 3s early in the fourth quarter. But the Jazz responded with consecutive baskets by Miye Oni (3), Ingles and Clarkson, and soon the lead had blossomed to an insurmountable 19.
The Jazz, who still have stops in New Orleans and Philadelphia on this four-game road trip, ended the first half on an 11-3 run, including a Royce O’Neale tip-in with 0.5 seconds left for a 54-50 lead.
The Magic have now lost three in a row after a three-game winning streak.