Utah Jazz: 3 takeaways from devastating Game 3 loss vs. Rockets

2. Donovan Mitchell the lone star on offense

Another takeaway from Utah’s Game 3 defeat against the Rockets was the fact that Donovan Mitchell was really the only bright spot on offense and the lone player that stepped up in the game.

Despite missing a late-game 3 that would have tied things up and forced overtime, Mitchell finished with a game-high 34 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals to pace the way for the Jazz.

However, the second-year guard wasn’t particularly efficient either, shooting 9-of-27 from the field, 4-of-12 from 3 and 12-for-17 from the free throw line. Outside of Mitchell and his high-volume shooting, nobody else really rose up to the occasion in a game where Utah needed it desperately.

Fellow star Rudy Gobert struggled on offense after putting together two solid performances in the first two games of the series against the Rockets, finishing Game 3 with just 10 points and eight rebounds while attempting just four shots from the field in the contest. He had seven blocks and had a solid impact overall, but the offense just wasn’t there.

The rest of the Jazz starting lineup, Ricky Rubio, Joe Ingles and Jae Crowder, combined to score just 23 points along with 17 rebounds and 13 assists.

Mitchell having an outburst in Game 3 and not really having much help along with it was another missed opportunity for Utah in the loss. To extend this series, the Jazz need someone else outside of Mitchell to step up on Monday.