Field Level Media
Mar 11, 2018
Donovan Mitchell scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half as the Utah Jazz defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 116-99 on Sunday afternoon at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Mitchell, who made 1 of 8 shots in the first half, made 9 of 13 as the Jazz outscored the Pelicans 68-48 after halftime. Utah finished with a 55-38 rebounding advantage.
Ricky Rubio added 30 points and 10 rebounds, Joe Ingles scored 20 and Rudy Gobert contributed 19 points and 16 rebounds as Utah won its sixth straight game, seventh of its last nine and 18th of its last 20.
Anthony Davis returned from a one-game absence due to a sprained ankle to play on his 25th birthday and lead New Orleans with 25 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocks. In his absence, the Pelicans' franchise-record 10-game winning streak ended with a lopsided loss to Washington on Friday.
Jrue Holiday added 18 points and 10 assists, Ian Clark scored 14, Darius Miller and Emeka Okafor had 11 each and E'Twaun Moore scored 10.
The score was tied three times early in the third quarter before Davis scored seven points help the Pelicans open a 66-57 lead.
Then Mitchell took over, scoring 15 straight Jazz points as they surged to a 78-74 lead after three quarters.
He kept his streak going by converting a three-point play to start the fourth-quarter scoring.
One of Mitchell's teammates finally scored when Jae Crowder made a 3-pointer and Gobert scored five points, as Utah increased its lead to 91-80.
New Orleans cut the deficit to seven midway through the quarter, but Utah rebuilt it to 13 on Mitchell's basket with 3:38 left.
Holiday made a 3-pointer and Moore added a three-point play for the Pelicans, but Mitchell and Rubio both answered with 3-pointers for a 12-point lead with 1:50 left.
Ingles made all four of his field-goal attempts, including two 3-pointers, as Utah took a 29-23 lead after one quarter.
New Orleans scored the first six points of the second quarter, and the score was tied six more times in the period. Holiday broke the final tie when he made a 3-pointer that gave the Pelicans a 51-48 halftime lead.
--Field Level Media