“Donovan Mitchell is Utah’s answer to Kawhi Leonard and his star power”: Kendrick Perkins blasts Paul George, praises Jazz star after stupendous Game 1 performance

Kendrick Perkins believes Donovan Mitchell is the superstar to match Kawhi Leonard in the Utah Jazz vs L. A Clippers series.

In what quickly  turned into a battle of attrition, the Utah Jazz, led by their superstar, Donovan Mitchell, put up an exemplary performance in their first game against the L.A Clippers.

Mitchell dropped an astounding 45 points against the Clippers, reinforcing their No.1 seed status. He has now scored more than 40 points in 4 playoff games and is tied for the record with Utah Jazz legend Karl ‘The Mailman’ Malone. 

Also Read: “I want to see some T Lue adjustments”: Draymond Green breaks down Game 1 for the Clippers, expects changes from Tyronn Lue for Game 2

Regardless of the final outcome last night, the Jazz seemed to have a tough time scoring the ball with 20 missed shots in the very first quarter and a 13 point deficit at the half. 

The Second half, however, was a different story with Mitchell going off, scoring 13 points in the first five minutes of the third quarter to eventually overcome the deficit and tie the game before the fourth quarter.

In a final push, the Jazz managed to lead by 10 points with 5 minutes on the clock which was hardly reassuring, the Clippers then stepped up and were trailing by 6 points which was immediately followed up with a 3 from Paul George, chopping Utah’s lead down to just 3 points.

In what was an exciting and nerve-wracking 4th quarter, the Utah Jazz were able to hold off the Clippers’ dishevelled final onslaught with Rudy Gobert’s essential block on Marcus Morris right before the final buzzer.

Kendrick Perkin makes a bold proclamation after Donovan Mitchell hangs 45 points on the Clippers

With Lebron’s Lakers out in the first round of the playoffs, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins seems elated with Donovan Mitchell’s performance against the L.A Clippers.  

Big Perk was quick to tweet out his thoughts on the game and declared Mitchell as the ‘superstar power to match Kawhi’ while taking a shot at Paul George for his underwhelming performance.

Both Kawhi and Paul George seemed worn out and low on energy scoring 23 and 20 points respectively, so maybe Perkins criticism of the Clippers star isn’t off the mark. 

Also Read:  “KAWHI LEONARD, THIS WAS YOUR MOMENT! YOU DEFERRED”: Skip Bayless launches an assault over the abysmal final play by the Clippers in Game 1 against the Jazz

The Jazz have certainly made a statement with this early victory against the Clippers, who were the favorites going into this series. But it’s important to keep in mind that the Clippers just played a Game 7 against the Dallas Mavericks while the Jazz had four days off after their win over the Grizzlies.

Ty Lue and his star-studded Clippers squad can certainly be expected to return having made multiple adjustments, looking to quickly shift the momentum towards their side.