“I Feel Like We Are Doing Better” | Utah Begins Road Trip At New York | Utah Jazz

Make no mistake, Donovan Mitchell is very well aware of what’s at stake on Sunday night.

The shooting guard is a specialist in compartmentalizing, able to put all distractions to the side and focus solely on the task at hand. It’s why he’s a three-time all-star and widely regarded as one of the best shooting guards in the NBA, right on the precipice of superstardom.

Mitchell will have to be all sorts of special when Utah begins its six-game road trip against RJ Barrett and the New York Knicks at the mecca that is Madison Square Garden. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. MST.

“I was tired of it.”

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 17, 2022

A victory would give the Jazz a two-game lead over Dallas in the race for the No. 4 seed in Western Conference playoffs. But following Steph Curry’s injury, the Jazz have an outside shot of passing Golden State for the No. 3 seed — a feat possible considering how well Utah has been playing of late.

As if that wasn’t pressure enough, Mitchell will be returning home to where it all began for him.

A native of Westchester County, New York, Mitchell has already played in the Garden several times as a professional. But Sunday night is the first time he returns with his childhood best friend by his side. 

Eric Paschall, who joined the Jazz via trade with Golden State this offseason, grew up a few houses down from Mitchell. They dominated on the courts in Westchester, eventually winning an AAU national championship together before taking different routes to Salt Lake City.

While they’re used to playing together, both from their early days and over the past six months with the Jazz, Sunday night in New York will definitely have a different feel. It is, after all, the first time their families will be able to watch them share a court together back in the state where their dreams first began to take shape. 

“Nobody really expected us to be where we are at, especially playing on the same team,” Paschall said. “We were just two kids from Westchester, and now we are two guys in the league. … We just had to prove ourselves.”

https://t.co/5CTcHYivOo

Friends closer than brothers and teammates once again, @spidadmitchell and @epaschall journey come full circle when they return home to where their NBA dreams first began to take shape#TakeNote | #NBA75 | @utahjazz

— Ryan Kostecka (@Ryan_Kostecka) March 20, 2022

Despite all of the nostalgia, Mitchell and Paschall will have to find a way to put the emotions to the side and play some of their best basketball together, as the Jazz will need them now more than ever. 

Utah will enter Sunday night severely short-handed as starters Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley and key rotation player Danuel House Jr. are all listed as out for various reasons. Two other rotation players, Trent Forrest and Hassan Whiteside, are listed as questionable. 

The good news is that the Jazz have picked a perfect time to play their best basketball of the season. 

After the disastrous month of January, Utah is 14-5 since the calendar flipped to February — winning in many ways that prove how deep and versatile this team truly is.

“We’ve said it all season, we don’t want to peak too early,” head coach Quin Snyder said. “We want to make sure that we are going up and playing our best basketball at the right time.  being more consistent and getting to where we want to be.”

Previewing our 6-game road trip here

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 20, 2022

STATS
Utah (44-26, 18-15 away / No. 4 Western Conference)
Offense
*114.1 Points Per Game (No. 6 in NBA)
*116.2 Offensive Rating (No. 1 in NBA)

Defense
*107.4 Points Per Game (No. 9 in NBA)
*109.5 Defensive Rating (No. 9 in NBA)

*Donovan Mitchell: 25.7 points / 5.5 assists / 4.1 rebounds / 1.5 steals
*Rudy Gobert: 15.5 points / 14.8 rebounds / 2.2 blocks / 71.2% shooting 
*Jordan Clarkson: 16.0 points / 3.4 rebonds / 2.2 assists
*Hassan Whiteside: 8.3 points / 7.8 rebonds / 1.5 blocks / 18.2 minutes

New York Knicks (30-40, 15-19 home / No.12 Eastern Conference)
Offense
*106.2 Points Per Game (No. 27 in NBA)
*109.1 Offensive Rating (No. 23 in NBA)

Defense
*106.8 Points Per Game (No. 8 in NBA)
*110.0 Defensive Rating (No. 12 in NBA)

*Julius Randle: 20.4 points / 10.0 rebounds / 5.2 assists 
*RJ Barrett: 19.5 points / 5.7 rebounds / 2.9 assists
*Evan Fournier: 14.4 points / 39.6% 3P-shooting

MATCHUP TO WATCH
*Donovan Mitchell vs. RJ Barrett
— While emotions will be high for Mitchell as he makes his return home, the three-time all-star should be well rested after missing Friday’s victory against LA. He’s been dominant of late, averaging 28.8 points per in his last four. Meanwhile, Barrett has found another gear since February, averaging 25.8 points per game. 

INJURY REPORT

Utah
QUESTIONABLE — Trent Forrest (right wrist sprain)
QUESTIONABLE — Hassan Whiteside (Non-COVID Related Illness)
OUT — Udoka Azubuike (right ankle sprain)
OUT — Bojan Bogdanovic (left calf strain)
OUT — Danuel House (left knee bone bruise)
OUT  — Mike Conley (Right Knee Injury Maintenance 

New York
OUT — Feron Hunt (G League – Two-Way) 
OUT — Nerlens Noel (Left Foot Sore)
OUT — Cam Reddish (Right Shoulder AC Injury)
OUT — Derrick Rose (Right Ankle Surgery)
OUT — Kemba Walker (Not With Team)

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Time: 5:30 p.m. MST
Location: Madison Square Garden / New York, NY
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: 1280 The Zone