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SALT LAKE CITY — Flashback to March 4 when the Utah Jazz played the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Jazz were outscored by nine points in the fourth quarter and fell 115-112 to a team that wasn’t playing for much. On Friday against the Wizards, it looked like the Jazz were in for a sequel.
Utah had led for much of the game and had even stretched the lead out to 15 points at one point at the end of the third quarter. But Washington kept coming ... and coming ... and coming.
But this time, the Jazz had an answer at the end.
With 3:00 left, the Jazz crowd came to life with a steadying crescendo, as Donovan Mitchell dribbled the ball up court. There was a reason for the building cheers: The Wizards had just pulled ahead on a Bradley Beal breakaway dunk and the crowd was trying to will the Jazz to victory.
Maybe it was the crowd or maybe it was the Jazz finally executing again late, but there wasn’t a repeat of the collapse against the Pelicans
Rudy Gobert converted a 3-point play, Ricky Rubio hit a corner 3-pointer and Mitchell hit a floater to help Utah pull off a 128-124 victory over the Wizards.
“Tonight was a game a year ago, we might have lost,” Gobert said before being interrupted by Joe Ingles.
“We lost to New Orleans,” Ingles said.
“Exactly," Gobert said. "We did a great job of executing. And we got the stops that we needed.”
And the clutch plays weren’t just the Jazz making shots. It was crisp ball movement leading to those shots, sound defense and Ingles even drawing an offensive foul on Washington with under a minute to go.
“I got to give credit to Joe,” said Rubio, who had 17 points. “He is really smart sometimes. He made a good play at the end. We have really high IQ players on this team. We know where to play.”
It was Utah’s fourth straight victory and the Jazz’s ninth win in their last 10 games. Utah improved to 46-30 on the season.
Mitchell had 35 points in the win, Ingles had a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists (his second straight double-figure assists game) and Gobert had 13 points and 17 rebounds.
Mitchell’s night was especially impressive considering he had to leave the floor after being poked in the eye in the first quarter. He returned to the court in the second quarter after being treated for an eye contusion and didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.
Mitchell hit his first shot — a 3-pointer — upon his return as part of a 14-point second quarter. And he didn’t stop scoring the remainder of the game. He was 13-of-23 from the field and had five rebounds and five assists.
“I thought he attacked,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “And that’s what we need him to do. I'm glad he’s OK. There was a point there where he was trying to be able to see well enough. Eventually, his vision cleared up and he was able to come back and play.”
A couple of Mitchell’s teammates weren’t so lucky, though. Derrick Favors (back spasms) and Raul Neto (lip laceration and concussion symptoms) both didn’t finish the game. Neto received three stitches to his lip.
Beal led the spirited effort by the Wizards who went on a 13-0 run at the end of the third quarter to all but erase the Jazz’s 15-point advantage and leading to a back-and-forth fourth quarter. Beal scored 34 points on 13-of-25 shooting.
“First of all, give credit to Washington, they really didn’t stop,” Mitchell said. “It was impressive. … Just being locked in together. That is what really made the difference.”
Utah will next play Charlotte at home on Monday.
