Stephen Curry Dominant, but Warriors Fall to Donovan Mitchell, Jazz

The Utah Jazz defeated the Golden State Warriors 108-103 on Wednesday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.

Andre Iguodala had an opportunity to tie the game with 7.8 seconds remaining but saw his three-pointer hit the front rim. Stephen Curry grabbed the offensive rebound but lost the ball out of bounds.

Donovan Mitchell hit two free throws at the other end to ice the game away.

The victory is a much-needed result for the Jazz, who had dropped four of their last five games. Mitchell finished with 17 points, while Rudy Gobert posted a double-double (17 points, 15 rebounds).

Curry scored 32 points on 12-of-21 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three-point range. Kevin Durant had 30 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

Donovan Mitchell's Shooting Struggles Are Holding Jazz Back

This game shouldn't have been so close in the fourth quarter.

Utah led by as many as 11 points in the final frame, and the Jazz generally did a good job of throwing the Warriors offense off its game. Golden State shot 40.0 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from three-point range. In addition, the Jazz made 16 three-pointers as a team and saw six players score in double figures.

However, the team didn't get much from its best player during the most important stretch of the game, capping off a forgettable performance from Mitchell. He shot 5-of-26 from the field and turned the ball over six times.

You want Mitchell to stay confident amid a bad shooting night, but there comes a point where he needs to defer to his teammates, especially when they're playing as well as they did Wednesday.

The Jazz have taken a step backward defensively. They finished first in defensive rating in 2017-18 (102.9) and sat eighth (106.1) through its first 31 games this year, per NBA.com. Mitchell's shooting is exacerbating that problem because Utah isn't getting the offense necessary to compensate.

After Wednesday's game, he's now shooting 29.6 percent from beyond the arc. That simply isn't good enough for a player who's his team's primary scoring option.

Unless Mitchell improves, the Jazz might be able to pull off the occasional big win here and there, but they'll be in serious trouble in a seven-game playoff series.

Late Comeback Attempt Shows Warriors are Headed for a Third Straight Title

Through three quarters and even a little into the fourth, the Warriors were basically going through the motions. They weren't moving the ball on offense and had an uncharacteristic number of breakdowns on defense.

The speed with which Golden State reversed course and nearly tied the game was another warning sign for the rest of the NBA. Joe Ingles hit a three with 6:40 remaining to put Utah ahead 98-87. With 4:05 left, Durant connected on a mid-range jumper to bring the Warriors to within two points, 100-98.

Nobody doubts how good the Warriors are, and they're the clear favorites to win the NBA Finals. This season hasn't exactly gone according to plan for Golden State, though. Off the court, there was the drama between Durant and Draymond Green. On the court, the Warriors are seventh in net rating (5.0), which is respectable but not nearly the level the team set for itself in recent years.

Still, that fourth-quarter surge is a reminder for anybody who reads too much into an underwhelming showing from Golden State in the regular season. The Warriors will be able to turn it on in the postseason when the games start meaning something.

What's Next?

The Jazz hit the road to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday before getting back to Salt Lake City for a four-game homestand. The Warriors host the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday for the first half of their back-to-back, which concludes Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers.