(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz fans react as Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) scores his 27th point in the first half of the game, with a 3-point shot in the final seconds of the first half, in second round playoff action in game 2 between the Utah Jazz and the LA Clippers, at Vivint Arena, on Thursday, June 10, 2021.
Jazz close with a big response
The Clippers erased all of a 21-point deficit to take a 101-99 lead with 6:37 to play, but the Jazz had an answer, taking control on both ends the rest of the way to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference second-round series.
Donovan kicks a chair
With the Clippers rallying to take a fourth-quarter lead, Donovan Mitchell let out his frustrations on an unsuspecting chair.
[Read more: Complete Utah Jazz playoff coverage]
Clippers use zone defense to shift momentum
Down as many as 21 points early in the third quarter, the Clippers went to a matchup zone defense, which drastically changed the tone of the game. A 13-0 run off the zone got the Clippers to within four at one point late in the period.
Quin Snyder chest-bumps Joe Ingles
Ingles has struggled from 3-point range of late, but when the Australian lefty nailed one late in the second quarter to push the Jazz lead to 10, Snyder, who is normally reserved, let out some emotion by chest-bumping Ingles as the Clippers called timeout.
Donovan Mitchell opens on fire
Mitchell began 3-for-3 from the field, scoring eight of Utah’s first 10 points over the first 1:42 of action, pacing the Jazz to a 10-2 and sending Vivint Arena into early hysterics.
“Ru-dy, Ru-dy, Ru-dy”
Vivint Arena broke into a “Ru-dy, Ru-dy, Ru-dy” chant after the newly-minted NBA Defensive Player of the Year challenged, then turned away DeMarcus Cousins at the rim. That show of appreciation from Jazz fans came after a pregame standing ovation for Gobert, who was honored for winning his third DPOY award in four seasons on Wednesday afternoon.
