Boston Celtics 97-94 Utah Jazz: 5 talking points

#3 Battle of the rookies

Donovan Mitchell

This game was a microcosm of the fascinating battle taking place in the Rookie of the Year sweepstakes this year. It featured 2 of the top 3 candidates in Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell, and with the Celtics depleted in roster strength for the game, it pushed Tatum into an alpha role just like Mitchell with the Jazz.

Neither of them had their best games of the season today, but they managed to play their team roles quite effectively. Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points on 19 shots, including 10 straight in the 3rd quarter. He converted 5 out of his 6 free throws and 3 out of his 8 3-point attempts, solidifying his name as a front-runner in the race.

Tatum played excellent defense on the night, getting 2 blocks and 2 steals. He often had to guard the likes of Favors and Jerebko on switches. He also put up 16 points, second in the Celtics team to topscorer Jaylen Brown who had a wonderful game himself on both ends of the floor.

Both rookies emerged from this game with their credentials enhanced.