The Denver Nuggets outscored the Utah Jazz in Game 7 to advance to the second round of the Playoffs. It’s been a treat to watch these two teams battle it out in the first round. Sadly, the Nuggets won by a two-point margin in the decider, and Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell was reduced to tears of pain after the loss. 

Mitchell pulled off a tremendous performance for the Jazz, standing tall with his series average. Even though he now leads a unique playoff record that includes registering 35+ PPG and 50+ FG% in the same series, it’s not sweet if it doesn’t come with a victory. 

With the score at 78-80 in favor of Denver, Mitchell had the possession and the chance to tie the game. But only seconds were left in the game and there’s only so much that a single player can do. The 6’1” point-guard was dispossessed, after which there was no way back for Utah. 

Following the agonizing Game 7 loss, the Spida could not hold in his emotions. The 23-year-old played his heart out for seven games, and a two-point defeat at the end is something no player would want. 

As a result, Donovan Mitchell was gutted that his team did not get the win. The loss left him in tears and disbelief. His teammate Joe Ingles, who attempted to console him, was tearing up as well. This loss comes as an enormous disappointment for the entire Utah Jazz, who looked like the favorites to progress to the second round.

With an early 3-1 lead in the series, the Jazz were on the right course for victory. But Jamal Murray put on a brilliant show in back-to-back games, which leveled the series at 3-3, and shifted momentum towards the Nuggets. 

Donovan Mitchell is confident of the Utah Jazz coming back stronger next season

We’ve seen a Jazz team that took the stage and put out a determined display in their first-round series. Donovan Mitchell shone throughout the series and guided the team with his leadership. But rewind three months back in the year. The Jazz looked shattered and helpless. 

The relationship between Mitchell and Rudy Gobert was reported to be “unsalvageable” following everything that transpired after the NBA’s hiatus in March. This is a team that was deemed to finish after two of their stars had a breakdown.

But when the Playoffs arrived, Utah displayed their grit. We saw no rift between Gobert and Mitchell when the games were running. Though Gobert could have put up better displays in Games 6 & 7, it had nothing to do with his fallout with Donovan Mitchell. 

The Utah Jazz remained unbreakable as a unit, even though there was a lot of speculation about their future. After the loss, a heart-broken Donovan Mitchell knew it was the end for them this year, but he stated his determination to come back stronger in the upcoming season.

“We went from being an unsalvageable team about three months ago to this. …This won’t happen again,” he said. 

It is scary to see how good Donovan Mitchell can be in his prime. There’s a bright future ahead, Donovan! Keep your head high and prove your worth next year!