Scoreboard
- Pistons 122, Nets 111
- Heat 98, Knicks 96
- Pelicans 130, Rockets 101
- Warriors 114, Spurs 91
- Jazz 122, Celtics 108
- Trail Blazers 106, Magic 97
- 76ers 119, Kings 111
What went down
In what was dubbed as a marquee matchup between two NBA powerhouses, the Utah Jazz proved that they belong in a higher tier right now than the Boston Celtics after an impressive 122-108 victory. It was a relatively competitive game all throughout, but the Jazz turned on the jets in the closing moments to pull out the victory. Donovan Mitchell was the high-point man with 36 but he got plenty of help from Rudy Gobert who had a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds, while outside marksmen Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Ingles combined for 40 points, powered by seven 3-pointers.
Jaylen Brown returned for the Celtics after missing the last two games due to soreness on his left knee. He didn’t miss a beat as he dropped a team-high 33 points alongside eight rebounds in a losing effort.
The Jazz continue to dominate the league with their record of 20-5 which also ties the best start in franchise history. They have won 16 out of their last 17 games and have been on an absolute tear.
Big-time baller
Donovan Mitchell burned the Celtics with 36 points on a crisp 12-for-23 shooting night to go along with nine assists and four rebounds. He also chipped in on the defensive end, racking up two blocks and a steal.
Mitchell converted on back-to-back triples to help his team create separation late, including a nasty step back trey that dropped Celtic Grant Williams to the floor. And for good measure, he also delivered two pinpoint passes to Rudy Gobert for a pair of dunks in the subsequent possessions.
Mitchell’s late-game artistry turned a highly-contested game into an empathic statement that the Jazz are currently at the top of the food chain.
What he said
Derrick Rose made his return to the Knicks on Wednesday and had 14 points off the bench. Before his first game back though, he met up rookies Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin for dinner for a little veteran-rookie mentoring.
"We both played from the same coach in college. We both had similar experiences there, playing for a tough-minded coach. We both get Coach Thibs (Tom Thibodeau) here. A lot of similarities,” said Quickley said, who played for former Memphis mentor and current Kentucky coach John Calipari like Rose. "Just looking forward to, you know, getting a chance to pick his brain. Something I like to do is to just ask a lot of questions, get feedback, take notes, and all things like that."
Did you see that?
When the game is tight, one whistle can make a huge impact. So you do whatever it takes to get that whistle. Here’s Jimmy Butler hilariously trying to sell a flagrant to the refs in the waning moments of the Heat-Knicks game.
Jimmy Butler selling the foul 😂 pic.twitter.com/MwP7eGtOLO
— ESPN (@espn) February 10, 2021
And Jimmy had the perfect postgame quote for his antics:
“I’ve studied Mark Wahlberg… I’ve taken a few pointers."
