Donovan Mitchell exploded onto the NBA scene this year and was a rookie sensation for the Utah Jazz throughout the regular season.His production enabled the Jazz to secure a playoff spot against the odds and the youngster is now making a name for himself in the postseason.Mitchell produced an impressive display as he inspired Utah to a vital game two win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road on Wednesday night.The 21-year-old posted 28 points in a 102-95 win that evened the first round series at 1-1.Throughout the campaign, the shooting guard racked up multiple milestones and he continued that in game two as it proved to be another historic night for him.With 55 points over the two games against the Thunder, Mitchell topped a record held by Michael Jordan for the most points by a guard in his initial two playoff contests, per ESPN.The Jazz star surpassed the 53 points MJ put up in his first two postseason games in 1985.Mitchell's status for the game was up in the air after he was suffering from left foot soreness after game one.But the Louisville product took to the floor and was keen to play through it, though he was dealing with discomfort in the first half.He didn't have the best shooting night as he was just 10-of-25 from the field but many of his points came in crucial moments.After OKC went on a 19-0 run to take control of the game late in the third quarter, the young guard helped to bring the Jazz back into the game as he scored 12 points in a 14-3 run for his team.
He cut a 10-point deficit to five in the closing stages of the third and put the finishing touches on the win with a spinning layup with less than two minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
"There was just a point where I stopped being aggressive," Mitchell said, per ESPN's Royce Young. "Big thing with Rudy [Gobert], he let me know -- I went 0-for-7 from three, I'm letting guys off the hook.
"I need to keep applying pressure, getting to the rim. Even if I miss, as you saw on the boards, they were right there crashing and getting rebounds.
"Just being aggressive, getting to the rim, getting to the free throw line. I didn't have a free throw until the second half, so 'just continue to be aggressive' was my mindset."
Head coach Quin Snyder praised his rookie for playing through the pain and putting the team on his back.
"Donovan, obviously, his aggressiveness on the offensive end fueled us there," Snyder said. "I think if he was feeling something, he didn't show it, and he played through it."
The Jazz have now put themselves in a great position to pull off an upset in this series after stealing home-court advantage.
This matchup will now switch to Salt Lake City for game three on Saturday night in front of what will be a boisterous crowd at the Vivint Smart Home Arena.
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