Source: Lineups

When a game gets to double overtime, you almost want it to stop just because it has been going for so damn long. That's how I started to feel in the Thunder-Jazz game that just had tie after tie, one-point lead change after one-point lead change in the fourth and two overtimes.

Mitchell was playing like a 5-year superstar, just like he'd played against the Thunder last year in round one. The Jazz got the better hand that time, but they didn't get a chance to face this year's MVP form of Paul George. It was indeed he who made the game-winning floater in the second overtime to give OKC the invigorating win over the squad that did them dirty last spring, 147-148! Check out the Rhythm of the Game below if you want all the gritty details. Takeaways section underneath.

Rhythm Of The Game

The first quarter was a good old Western shootout if there ever was one. Both teams shot 60% from the field on the way to a one-point home team Thunder lead, 34-35. The combatants were understandably chippy to start it off. Russell Westbrook got whistled for a flagrant foul on Rudy Gobert that was arguably called in error, but the refs were tight with the whistle to set a precedent moving forward. Westbrook was particularly efficient from the field though with ten first quarter points on 4/5 shooting. We were about to see if he could keep that clip up in the second.

The second quarter saw the Jazz go up six on the home team thanks to a 9-0 run out the gate. OKC didn't wait long to respond. They quickly tied up at 48 thanks to a few crowd-pleasing threes from Paul George Back and forth bucket exchanges occurred before the Thunder created some distance again with an eight point lead, 52-60. More chippiness ensued when Jae Crowder and Denni Schroeder got into a little tussle with Schroeder on the ground, but nothing came of it. Thunder held the mid-sized advantage heading into the second half, 57-66.

The third was another dead even exchange with the Jazz emerging on top by two at the end, 95-93. Not a lot of defense in this one. When the Jazz score above 115 points this year they're 18-3, so according to previous patterns we could've been gearing for a Utah win. Russell Westbrook was the guy who continued to provide offense for the Thunder. If he could just not shoot them out of this one late, then we'd have a ballgame down the stretch.

Source: USA Today's FTW

But just like that the Jazz came out on a 12-4 run to jump ahead by a whole ten points, 107-97! Paul George still hadn't fully activated his MVP form yet, but the Jazz were making him pay 'til he did. With eight minutes left in the fourth, OKC countered with their own run capitalized by a Paul George three-ball which cut the lead to two, 107-105. We had ourselves a game tonight!

George nailed a second three to bring it to one, 109-108. George was heating up with a 4/8 mark from the line tonight, but the Jazz just had an answer to every Thunder run. The game was coming down the wire, and neither side was showing signs of folding. With the Thunder down three, Paul George got the ball wide open at the top of the arc - and BANG! Tie game with under 1:30 remaining. Donovan Mitchell got the rock at the other end and threw up a terrible, deep shot - but the Jazz drew a foul under the hoop!

It was Utah ball with under a minute to play, Utah ran a play for Donovan Mitchell and he laid in the easy layup off a half-court drive. Barely any time came off the block. Jazz up two, 126-124 with 48 seconds to play. On the very next play, Russell Westbrook curled around to the inbounder and drive hard at Gobert for the layup and drew the foul, tying up the game at 126. With the score tied once again, the Jazz whipped the ball all around the perimeter til they found Ricky Rubio, who drained the open look!

Jazz up three and Thunder ball. Jeremi Grant got it this time after and Westbrook drive-and-dish, and he drew the and-1! Jeremi made the free throw to tie it all up again! Under thirty seconds to play and what a game we had. Utah took the ball up with no timeouts for a Donovan Mitchell drive, but he was blocked! Russell Westbrook took it with the last possession in his control. He stepped back to his left and fired up a potential game-winning shot, but it bricked! We were going to overtime tonight.

Source: freep.com

Overtime

Rudy Gobert came out in OT and dunked it home twice for the first four points of the extra period. Thunder needed to act quickly or they'd get buried in OT. Paul George was the one who took up the call with a driving layup and a breakaway steal off a Utah inbound to tie it at 133! Donovan Mitchell sank two free throws to put the Jazz back on top. The Thunder got to the line after where Westbrook made one of two. With the Thunder still down one, Steven Adams made a tip shot to get the home team back up by one! Less than two minutes to play and lead changes galore!

Donovan Mitchell threw up a wild layup that managed to find net for his 36th point of the game, and a Utah one-point lead! Westbrook drove hard and fell victim to an offensive foul for his sixth foul of the game. He was done! It was up to Paul Georg to carry them home with under a minute to go. But it was actually Thunder bench forward Abdel Nader who stepped up big and drained a three to put the home team up two! It didn't last long as Donovan Mitchell countered with a floater at the very end. This Utah team just wasn't going to die. Only 17 seconds left in overtime Thunder ball. Paul George stepped up to drain a three but missed, and Mitchell bricked at the other end to bring this game to double OT!

Jeremi Grant nailed a three to kick off the second OT with a three-point Thunder lead. Predictably, it didn't last long because the Jazz had Mitchell and Ingles to tie it up once again with a two and a three, 144-all. A couple scores later, Utah retook the lead with a Rudy Gobert free throw, 147-146. Paul George had the ball with the last possession of the second OT. He drove straight down the middle with no timeouts and drained the floater! Timeout Utah, they only had .8 seconds left to respond. The Jazz got it to Korver in the corner for a last-ditch desperation three - but it bricked! OKC wins a marathon of a game, 147-148

Takeaways

Wow! The Raptors and Spurs had their emotional clash between Derozan's old team and his new, but I had a feeling this one would just be an entertaining as hell shootout. What a game it was that saw what felt like a million ties and lead changes in the fourth quarter and overtime.

My first takeaway is about Paul George. He's just hitting another level with Russell and the OKC Thunder. Last year he averaged 20 ppg and looked like a certified second option, but this year he has made the unexpected jump into alpha territory - playing next to one of the game's biggest alphas no less! When Westbrook went out from fouls, George knew what was shouldered on him. He didn't have the same shot in the beginning of the second OT, but he didn't defer when he easily could've and sank the deciding bucket! It was still a hell of a team win for the Thunder who got great stat lines from Russell Westbrook(43-15-8-2-1, 15/29), Jeremi Grant(18-4-1-2-3, 3/4 from three, 6/10 overall), and the big man Steven Adams (16-10-3-5-1, 7/14).

Source: Chat Sports

If you're the Utah Jazz, this double-overtime loss over your division rival stings like a mother fucker. You haven't beaten the Thunder yet this year, and after falling short by one-point last game you do it once again - only this time it took longer.

They're not in any desperate spot where they might fall out of the playoff hunt, but this could've been a confidence-building win with enough morale boost to propel you guys on a run for a higher seed. The Jazz currently sit at sixth, but they arguably play like a 3 or 4 seed on certain nights. Tonight was one of those where Donovan Mitchell showed out so well, you could anoint them a potential 3/4-seed if they can capture this level of efficiency and aggression. This all happened on the road no less. Utah will get one more crack at them on March 11th back in Salt Lake City. You know they're going to come out firing for that one.

If the playoffs started today, the #3 Thunder and #6 Jazz would meet once again in an explosive first round matchup. Something tells me given the way Paul George has been playing and the way they lost in five games last year, OKC would come out determined to take that series. We can only hope these two teams hold down their respective seeds the rest of the year or have a chance to meet in the second round for a hell of a runback. I want to see Joe Ingles talk more trash to Playoff Paul George and Westbrook try and bring vengeance on Donovan Mitchell. I also like seeing the Jazz do well given how young they are. I don't know who I'd root for, but I'd love to see the rematch.

Check out the game's highlights below!