Donovan Mitchell wasn’t feeling his best.
The All-Star guard was lightheaded and nauseated — and that was before the Utah Jazz missed 20 consecutive shots in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s Western Conference semifinal.
But with a chance to grab a Game 1 victory in front of 18,000 fans at Vivint Arena, Mitchell wasn’t going to let anything, or anyone stop him. The Jazz guard exploded for 45 points — outscoring stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combined — on 16-of-30 shooting to put his team up 1-0 over the L.A. Clippers.
“He’s really competitive but he’s also really determined,” Jazz head coach Quin Snyder said.