The Los Angeles Clippers eliminated the Utah Jazz in six games of their second-round series. The Western Conference top-seeded Jazz looked very comfortable after winning the first two matches before the Clippers rallied to win four straight games and advance to the WCF for the first time in franchise history.
Donovan Mitchell looked unstoppable during those first encounters, but everything collapsed for the Jazz. He tried and tried on Friday night, but the team just fell apart. After building a 25-point lead, they blew it, clearing the way for Terance Mann, Paul George, and Reggie Jackson to take the W.
Following the game, Mitchell talked about the series, explaining how hurt he was to lose this way after recording a terrific regular season. He and the team expected to have a deeper run in the playoffs, but that won’t happen.
“It hasn’t fully sunk in for me yet. I’m still in shock. … I don’t know what I’m going to be doing next week,” Mitchell said postgame, according to Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. “Probably watching the games, mad as hell. This hurts more than last year. This is gonna eat at me for a long time.”
Donovan Mitchell: "It hasn't fully sunk in for me yet. I'm still in shock. … I don't know what I'm going to be doing next week. Probably watching the games, mad as hell. This hurts more than last year. This is gonna eat at me for a long time."
— tribjazz (@tribjazz) June 19, 2021
Plenty of fans were rooting against the Jazz this season and the team wanted to prove them wrong. After blowing a 3-1 lead last season in the bubble, Utah had something to prove this campaign.
They couldn’t do the job; now it’s time to get some rest, start the offseason, and plan their next campaign.
