(Field Level Media) Donovan Mitchell scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead layup with 3:43 remaining, and the road-weary Utah Jazz overcame early sluggishness and recorded a 101-91 victory over the host Brooklyn Nets last night.
Playing in a different time zone for the third time in four games, the Jazz won for the third time in their last nine games thanks to Mitchell.
Mitchell returned from missing two games with a rib contusion and made 12 of 24 shots. He put Utah ahead 88-87 when he banked in a right-handed layup off the glass after getting by D’Angelo Russell.
Mitchell then hit a floater and 3-pointer to put Utah ahead 93-89 with 2:37 remaining. With about a minute left, the Jazz expanded their lead to 97-91 on a dunk by Rudy Gobert and finished off the win when Mitchell banked in a jumper with 45.7 seconds left.
Gobert posted his 19th double-double by adding 23 and 16 rebounds as Utah outscored the Nets 31-13 in the final 12 minutes.
The Nets blew a fourth-quarter lead for the second straight game, three days after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Jimmy Butler. Brooklyn also suffered its fifth straight home loss and fourth straight overall.
Brooklyn reserve Spencer Dinwiddie scored 14 of his 18 points in the final two-plus minutes of the third but the Nets shot a season-low 34.9 percent. Russell followed up his 38-point game against Philadelphia by adding 14, but shot 6 of 25 from the floor.
The teams combined to miss their first 11 shots and the Jazz held a 17-16 lead after the opening period. By halftime, the Jazz held a 43-42 lead when Mitchell hit a 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds remaining.
The Nets gained some separation late in the third when Dinwiddie scored 14 straight points in a span of 2:15 by hitting two 3-pointers, a hook shot and six free throws.
Dinwiddie’s spurt helped Brooklyn gain a 78-70 lead after three quarters but the Jazz came right back by starting the fourth on a 12-4 spurt and Royce O’Neale’s 20-footer as the shot expired forged an 82-82 deadlock with 7:06 left, setting up Mitchell’s clutch baskets down the stretch.
