Donovan Mitchell Has Solid Outing in 2021 NBA All-Star Game
(Photo of Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
ATLANTA - He might not have been named a starter for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, but that didn’t stop former University of Louisville standout and NBA superstar Donovan Mitchell from having a solid performance in the exhibition nonetheless.
Coming off the bench for Team Durant in their 170-150 loss to Team LeBron, the Utah Jazz shooting guard put up 15 points on 6-12 shooting with three three-pointers, four rebounds, four assists and a steal in 28 minutes on the floor.
It was also the most points a former Cardinal has ever scored in the NBA All-Star Game, and the first time one has cracked double digit scoring. Wes Unseld scored eight points in 1971, as did Jim Price in 1975.
He tallied the second-most bench points for Team Durant, behind only James Harden’s 21, and even out-scored starters Kawhi Leonard and Zion Williamson, who had eight and 10 points, respectively. Bradley Beal led the team with 26, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was named All-Star Game MVP, finished with 35 points on 16-16 shooting and seven rebounds.
This was the the second All-Star game appearance for the Greenwich, Conn. native, as he was also named a reserve for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game last season. He put up seven points, four assists, five rebounds and two steals in that contest.
The fourth-year player is averaging 24.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game during the 2020-21 season, all of which are good for career-highs. He is also shooting 42.1% from the field and a career-best 38.2% on three-point attempts.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound guard has quickly ascended to superstardom over the last couple seasons, and continues to add milestones to his young NBA career. He became the fastest player to hit 600 career three-pointers earlier this season, and became the third-fastest active NBA player to score 5,000 career points last season, trailing only LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
Mitchell was drafted with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Nuggets, only to be traded to the Jazz on draft night. As a sophomore at Louisville, Mitchell averaged 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists en route to being named a 2016-17 First Team All-ACC selection.
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