SALT LAKE CITY — Exactly eight months ago to the date, a large billboard invaded Utah off the I-15S highway, reading "Rookie?" on April 27.
With Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and Philadelphia 76ers rising star Donovan Mitchell engaged in a heated 2017-18 NBA Rookie of the Year race, which Simmons ended up winning, Adidas campaigned hard for Mitchell to win with the huge ad.
"Rookie?" was a subtle shot at Simmons redshirt season, as they traded shots through the media.
On Thursday, Simmons returned to Utah for the first time this season to boos — on the same day Adidas revealed its plans for Mitchell's first signature sneaker, tentatively scheduled for release this summer.
However, Simmons left with the victory while posting his fifth triple-double on the season with 14 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists as Philadelphia defeated Utah 114-97 to win their fourth straight game against the Jazz.
Mitchell led Utah with 23 points, four rebounds and three assists — but has yet to defeat Simmons in career matchups.
For Utah, the Philly game marked their second straight national television game on TNT, after beating the Portland Trail Blazers on ESPN on Christmas Day for the first time in 21 years.
Both teams looked completely different from the last time they played in front of a rowdy crowd at Wells Fargo Center on Nov. 16 despite the outcome remaining the same.
Philadelphia won the first matchup 113-107 in Jimmy Butler's first home game as a Sixer thanks to his 28-point, seven-rebound performance. Mitchell also went 13 for 35 to get 31 points in the Jazz's last loss to Philadelphia, while going 5-for-20 and 0-for-6 from 3-point range when guarded by Butler, but Mitchell was 10-for-20 this time.
"Ironically, what we saw in Philly was kind of foreshadowing of what's to come," said Jazz coach Quin Snyder. "A couple nights later, he hit a game-winner in Charlotte and the fact that he's a complete player, allows him to find a role in any system."
In addition to the Simmons-Mitchell rookie rivalry, the low-post battle between Sixers big man Joel Embiid and Jazz center Rudy Gobert was another significant matchup, as they've also traded subtle shots throughout their career.
However, on game day, Gobert was sure to keep his emphasis on the team.
"Like I said, it's a team game," Gobert said during shootaround. "Embiid's probably going to score, but I'm worried about the Sixers. If we play good defense as a team and can limit them like we want to every night, to every team, we should be in a good place."
Embiid ended with 23 points, 15 rebounds, six assists, and five blocks to Gobert's 17 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and two steals for his 30th double-double. Embiid fouled out in the fourth quarter after inadvertently undercutting Ricky Rubio on a loose ball situation at 4:21, but the Sixers were up 107-91 at that point.
Utah jumped out to a 29-22 lead in the first quarter, behind 10 early points from Kyle Korver off the bench — including a deep and-one 3-pointer with 7.3 seconds on the clock.
At halftime, the 76ers entered the locker room with a 57-52 edge after outscoring the Jazz 35-23 in the second quarter, despite Utah's bench outscoring Philadelphia 22-11.
Philadelphia opened the third quarter on a 9-3 run to take a 66-55 lead at 8:23 after a triple by JJ Redick, before leading by as many as 19 in the period, with both Mitchell and Favors both picking up their fourth personal fouls.
Jae Crowder also sprained his thumb and didn't return.
In the fourth, Philadelphia extended its lead to 23 points as Redick finished with a team-high 24 points off six treys in a physical contest. Butler would end with 18 points and three steals while Dante Exum posted a season-high 20 points off the bench for the Jazz against his childhood friend Simmons from Australia.
Korver also finished with 11 points in 20 minutes, but went just 3 for 10.
Utah (17-19) will return to Vivint Arena for another home game versus the New York Knicks at 6 p.m. Saturday.
As Mitchell and Simmons continue to progress in their young careers, they'll likely be forever linked, but the latest meeting finally puts the rookie rivalry behind them for at least their sophomore seasons.
from Deseret News http://bit.ly/2Vfjqmc
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