Derrick Rose set a career scoring record, and for the second time this season, a former Jazz man sunk the Jazz with late game heroics. The former MVP regained his superstar form, as Rose, filling in for Jimmy Butler who sat out for the Halloween night contest poured in 50 points, leading Minnesota to a win at home 128-125. Jonas Jerebko had previously beat the Jazz with a buzzer beater in Salt Lake, now playing for the Golden State Warriors.
Rose was unstoppable getting into the paint, and hit timely jump shots, sinking a Jazz team that was without Donovan Mitchell to close the game due to hamstring tightness. Mitchell will be reevaluated tomorrow. Without Mitchell on the floor, the Jazz were dependent on late game free-throws to stay in the game offensively, and simply split to many trips to the line find themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
Wednesday marked the fourth time in seven outings this season that the Jazz have allowed 110 points or more this season. While scores are up around the league, this type of scoring makes the Jazz ultra-reliant on Mitchell to carry the scoring load, and minimizes their advantage of a superior defensive center in Rudy Gobert controlling low scoring games. Mitchell finished with 26 points on 24 shots.
The Jazz will now go back home, off a successful 3-1 road trip, to face the Memphis Grizzlies, who beat the Jazz in Utah before the Jazz departed on the four game roadie. If the Jazz are without Mitchell for an extended period of time, they’ll have to quickly find a replacement for his offensive creation, as it was obvious late in the game the Jazz struggled to get easy shots with him off the floor.
