SALT LAKE CITY – Donovan Mitchell had a great idea of what Quin Snyder’s game plan for Team LeBron was in the All-Star Game.
“I think he did what we did during the season as far as shooting tries and just told them to shoot further, harder shots,” Mitchell said.
Well, if you have Steph Curry and Damian Lillard in your team, it’s best to take advantage of it. Snyder led his team 170-150 over Mitchell and Team Durant in Atlanta on Sunday. And yes, it was one of those longer and tighter 3s that ended the game with Lillard pulling up from just inside the halfway line and drilling a triple to get Team LeBron to the goal of 170.
But Snyder is not about to take credit for anything that happened Sunday.
“(I coached) as much as they wanted, playing a couple in a few situations,” Snyder said. “A kind of help in any way you can, but I think they covered it properly.”
He was just part of the ride. He said it’s a thrill to just be at the game; to look out for the track and see not only All-Stars but also the former Hall of Famers. It only added to the excitement that three of his players were also there.
The Jazz were well represented in Atlanta. Mitchell, who played for Team Durant, had 15 points, four rebounds and four assists within 28 minutes; Rudy Gobert had 10 points and seven rebounds in 13 minutes for Team LeBron; and Mike Conley, who made his long-awaited All-Star debut, had three points and two assists in 12 minutes for Team Durant.
The Jazz players did not play a major role in the final result, but they did have many fun moments, including a debut that Conley would never see coming.
On Conley’s first time in an All-Star game ever, he did something he hadn’t had in years: he faced Chris Paul for the opening spot to start the second quarter. Unfortunately for Conley, he lost the jumping game, but that was actually the only negative part of the whirlwind wind day.
“I was not prepared for the tip,” Conley said with a laugh. “I was told I was going to go there and get ready to guard someone, and I looked back (and the bench said) ‘Mike is going to jump.’ I wish I would have won the fee, but on top of that it was a wonderful experience – a lot of fun. ‘
📹 | Wow!# NBAAllStar x #Take noticepic.twitter.com/LBvkn2M5FF
– utahjazz (@utahjazz) March 8, 2021
In the first half, Mitchell licked in for a layup right next to Gobert. The two-time defensive player of the year could have wiped it out, but he thought he would let his regular team-mate have a free one.
“He was supposed to block my imposition – I thought he was going, I did not have the legs to try to dip it,” Mitchell said.
Gobert said: “I let him get the first lay-up. After that I told him I would not let him get any more. He got a little scared in the second half. I thought he was going to try something “But he did not make a smart decision.”
Mitchell did not show the favor of having to give his teammate a free pass. When Gobert got the ball right next to the ring, Mitchell Bear hugged him to avoid what would surely have been a dunk.
“Everything is fun rubbish talk – I had to trespass on him, had to make sure he didn’t get up there,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell did hit a 3 over Gobert’s long arms in the second half – not as exciting as a challenge on the edge, but also easier (and safer).
There was a bit of drama that Conley was involved in. He was the last All-Star to come on board on Sunday, waiting until late in the third quarter to score his first points. Mitchell said he and the team were trying to find ways to get him a bucket, so there was relief when Conley struck a three-pointer in the final minutes of the third quarter.
And that shot was all Conley needed.
“After I got the bucket, I was like, ‘I’m fine, man, you can take me out. Let these young guys run around and have a show. ” Conley said.
All in all, it was a successful game and weekend for the Jazz, who were the most representative team at the game. Utah was one of only two teams to have three All-Stars (the Brooklyn Nets were the others), and was the only group to play all three. And they took their coach with them. It all made for a special day for the organization.
“It was nice to be there with the guys,” Snyder said.