SALT LAKE CITY — The overtime clock read, 1:53. Donovan Mitchell walked onto the court after the Utah Jazz took a timeout and wiped the sweat off his face with a towel. As he surveyed the court, determination on his face, he nodded his head repeatedly.
Perhaps it was internal dialogue he was agreeing with, an attempt to hype himself up after the game had gotten away from him. Maybe it was acknowledgement of the moment. This is it, less than two minutes to go, everything needs to be perfect.
But, the Jazz weren’t perfect in the final stretch on Monday, and the Denver Nuggets took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.