SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 39 points and the Utah Jazz beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-108 on Friday night.
Mitchell added six rebounds and five assists in his return from a two-game absence due to a back strain. With both Mike Conley and Joe Ingles sidelined, he handled point guard duties in his first game back and shot 57 per cent from the field, including six of 11 from 3-point range.
Bojan Bogdanovic added 24 points and 12 rebounds, Jordan Clarkson chipped in 20 points and Rudy Gobert added 14 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards scored 26 points in his return after a six-game absence due to health and safety protocols. Malik Beasley added 22 points for the Timberwolves.
Minnesota was short-handed offensively with both Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell still sidelined due to health and safety protocols.
After Patrick Beverley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer a minute into the fourth quarter, the Jazz scored 22 unanswered points to pull away from the Timberwolves. Mitchell ignited the run with back-to-back baskets and scored 12 points during the outburst. Gobert and Mitchell finished it off with back-to-back baskets that gave Utah a 113-92 lead with 5:51 left.
Utah built a 13-point halftime lead, going up 63-50, by knocking down 3-pointers and repeatedly getting to the free throw line.
The Jazz made seven outside baskets – with four coming from Mitchell – and shot 54 per cent from the perimeter before halftime. Utah also shot 22 of 26 on free throws in the first half. Bogdanovic and Gobert each had eight free throw attempts, equaling Minnesota’s total free throw attempts in the first two quarters.
Minnesota rallied in the third quarter and erased Utah’s lead. Jaden McDaniels capped a 12-2 run with a go-ahead jumper that gave the Timberwolves a 79-78 edge. Edwards and Naz Reid each scored a pair of baskets to fuel the spurt.
