Donovan Mitchell Responds to Home Fans Booing Jazz in Game 3 vs. Mavs: 'It's Part of the Game'
In Game 3 of the Western Conference first round, the Utah Jazz suffered an ugly home loss to the Dallas Mavericks, falling 126-118. Despite the absence of Dallas' star player Luka Doncic, the Mavs steam-rolled the Jazz in the first half by sinking 13 three-pointers and taking a 17-point lead into the half.
As the Jazz players left the court and headed for the locker room, boos rained down from the displeased fans at Vivint Arena. Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell heard the jeers but didn't take them to heart.
"We weren't playing well, we got booed," Mitchell said. "It's part of the game. I've booed the hell out of a TV as a kid and it's nothing personal. It is what it is."
For the fans in attendance hoping their vocal criticism of the Jazz would perhaps spawn a comeback, it wasn't to be. Dallas guard Jalen Brunson was on fire throughout Game 3, finishing with 31 points to lead his team, and while the Jazz would make a late push to narrow the margin to seven points, the gap was too vast to bridge.
Utah center Rudy Gobert, who was taken off the court for the better part of a quarter in the second half, maintained his belief that if the Jazz can capture that energy and sustain it for a full 48 minutes, they can storm back and perhaps tie this series up.
"I like what we did in the second half," Gobert said. "The thing for us now is, can we have that intensity defensively for 48 minutes? And we're going to have to do it if we want to win any games."
Gobert finished Game 3 with 15 points (in 29 minutes) while Mitchell led all scorers with 32. At this stage, the Jazz faithful are experiencing that 'here we go again' sinking feeling of yet another year with the team failing to translate its considerable regular-season momentum into playoff success.
The Mavericks lead the series 2-1. Game 4 tips off on Saturday at 2:30 MDT.
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