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Mitchell scores 40 as surging Jazz rout Suns 129-97

After being fouled on a 3-point basket, Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) is helped up off the floor by guards Ricky Rubio (3) and Joe Johnson, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Phoenix • As Donovan Mitchell got dressed at his locker-room stall following the Utah Jazz defeating the Phoenix Suns 129-97 on Friday night, he put on each piece of clothing meticulously.

Finally, he took his pink backpack, which all first-year Jazz players wear, and clutched it proudly. Then he explained.

“If you wear it with pride, nobody can make fun of you,” Mitchell said. “At least, not to your face.”

At this point, the pink backpack is the only telltale sign that Mitchell’s a rookie. On the basketball court, he looks like anything but.

Mitchell scored a game-high 40 points on Friday night, needing just 19 shots to do so. He set a Jazz record by swishing seven 3-pointers. He became the first NBA rookie since Blake Griffin in 2011 to have multiple 40-point games. He became the first rookie with six 30-point games in his first 50 career games since Griffin as well.

On a night when the Jazz outclassed the Suns for their fourth consecutive win, Mitchell stole the show. When he hit a jumper from the free-throw line early in the fourth quarter to reach the 40 point mark, Utah coach Quin Snyder quickly subbed him out of the game.

When he did, many left in attendance at Talking Stick Resort Arena gave him a rousing ovation.

“I didn’t know I had 40, to be honest with you,” Mitchell said. “I think the biggest thing was we were clicking. Everybody was clicking; that was the best part about it. Everyone was on the same page and I think that’s where this performance was better, because as a team we played a lot better.”

The Jazz were never threatened on Friday night. They led by as many as 16 points in the first quarter, before the Suns closed within 41-33 in the second quarter. On the very next possession, Mitchell hit a 3-pointer and was fouled, giving Utah a 45-33 advantage. The lead never shrank below double digits again.

At its peak, the Jazz lead was 41 points.

It was an all-around performance worthy of the final score. Defensively, the Jazz suffocated Phoenix. The Suns couldn’t score around the rim, and the Jazz limited Phoenix to 9-of-33 shooting from 3-point range.

Offensively, Utah shot almost 57 percent from the field. The Jazz shot 15 of 29 from 3-point range. They dominated the glass (outrebounding the Suns 51-32) and turned the ball over just 11 times.

“We knew going in this team did not play well when Rudy Gobert wasn’t in the lineup,” Suns coach Jay Triano said. “They’ve won four of five since he’s been back in shape, five of six now. He takes away everything at the rim, so when you get to the rim, it’s hard to finish. So we have to drive and kick and make shots, and we weren’t very good at that tonight.”

Friday night marked just the third time in franchise history that the Jazz have won consecutive games by at least 30 points. It’s the first time since 1995 when they beat the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets.

Mitchell’s huge night overshadowed how well his teammates played. Ricky Rubio was sublime, scoring 14 points, handing out nine assists without a turnover and grabbing six rebounds.

Joe Ingles scored 16 points and hit four 3-pointers. Derrick Favors had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Gobert had 10 points, nine rebounds and blocked five shots. He was also a game-high plus-40, meaning the Jazz outscored the Suns by 40 points when he was on the floor.

Utah’s won five of its past six games and moves its record to 23-28. The Jazz are still in the 10th spot of the Western Conference. But after such a rough time over the last two months, they are starting to finally look like the team many thought they could be.

“Rudy is back in the lineup and that helps,” Rubio said. “With him back, you know who’s going to play every time. You feel better when you know who you’re going to play with. That chemistry is building and it’s helping.”