OKLAHOMA CITY — An injury to a key Utah Jazz rookie took the wind out of his team’s sails in Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Jazz star Donovan Mitchell was injured when the Thunder’s Corey Brewer stepped his foot during play.
“I feel fine,” Mitchell said. “I think I just stubbed my toe. Nothing major. … The trainers saw me limping and thought that I needed to come out. I was just being a baby.”
Mitchell finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds in his playoff debut, but he sat out the final 3:19 in his team’s 116-108 loss to the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
Utah guard Dante Exum kept it in perspective.
“We know this is a long series, a seven-game series,” Exum said. “We’re going to watch some films and see what we can do better.”
Mitchell expects to be ready for Game 2 on Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.