EMPTYING THE NOGGIN

Summary:  Utah Jazz get back on winning track against young and inferior Sacramento Kings

• Donovan Mitchell wowed another crowd tonight. In the first half, he had 11 points some of which made the crowd go ohhh then the third quarter came and he completely took over the game.  He added another 11 in the third quarter and then 12 in the 4^th quarter for a 34 point outburst.

• He did it without the three point shot. Mitchell hit just one three all night, a banker.  He scored only 7 of his 34 points outside of the paint.

• This was Mitchell’s 5^th 30 point game of the season. In the last 30 years, the only players who have 5 30 point games in their teams first 44 games during their rookie season were David Robinson, Shaq O’Neal, Blake Griffin, LeBron James and Allen Iverson.  All of these guys were #1 picks.  All of them are going to the Hall of Fame.  This is incredible company.

• Donovan continues to improve in areas where he has struggled. He struggled early in the season finishing at the rim.  Since then he has mastered that to a rate of 66% around the rim.  Now he has added a paint non restricted area shot as teams have cut him off from the rim.  These are tough looks, the lowest percentage in the NBA.  However after shooting poorly on those he has now added a floater and is scoring at a high rate on those shots.

• Donovan shot 13 of 15 on 2 point shots

• Sacramento is not a good team and Garrett Temple didn’t play who is their best on-ball defender so Donovan was feasting on a rather porous defense.

• The Jazz hit the three point shot again tonight. Prior to tonight over the last 13 games, the Jazz were hitting just 30% of their three point shots, last in the NBA.  Tonight the Jazz were 12 of 29 from three for 41%.

• Rodney Hood had a nice offensive night with 25 points on 9 of 16 shooting and hit on 4 of 9 from three. Rodney also had 8 rebounds.

• Joe Ingles found his stroke going 4 of 7 from three after struggling to start the night.

• The Jazz three point defense continues to struggle as the Kings hit on 13 of 21 from three and Bogdan Bogdanovic was the main culprit going 6 for 6 from three. Bogdanovic had 25 while Willie Cauley Stein had 26.

• Royce O’Neale was +13 for another great +/- night

• Jazz took a 23-21 lead at the end of the 1^st quarter when Rodney Hood hit a buzzer beater. Then they stretched the lead with 29-21 second quarter and eventually got the lead to 20 points in the third quarter before cruising to the win.

• Jazz were the superior team tonight and took care of a win they had to get against a Kings team that will make a strong push for worst record in the NBA.