HOUSTON -- After outscoring the Rockets himself with 22 points in the third quarter, Utah Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell limped off the court with an injury midway through the fourth quarter and did not return to the team's 112-102 loss in the series-deciding Game 5 on Tuesday night.
The Jazz later said Mitchell had exited with left foot soreness. X-rays were negative, and he will undergo further tests when the team returns to Salt Lake City.
The Jazz do not believe that Mitchell's injury is serious, team sources told ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
Mitchell put a left-to-right crossover on James Harden, which the Rockets star stole and took the other way for a dunk. Mitchell remained in a crouch on the other end, pointing to the back of his left leg. The Jazz called timeout, and with the assistance of a trainer and teammate Joe Ingles, Mitchell was helped to the bench.
Mitchell was seen on the game broadcast walking in the tunnel near the Jazz locker room with his left shoe off. But he returned later to the Utah bench minus his sneakers, unable to help the Jazz rally late against the Rockets, who won the Western Conference semifinal 4-1.
"Even though I was out, I can't just sit in the back," Mitchell said. "I wanted to be with my teammates through the entire thing and it's tough sitting there watching but they fought and they competed. Obviously we're unhappy with the result, but I'm happy with everybody as a whole."
Mitchell injured his left foot in Game 1 of the first round against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he continued to play on a sore toe.
After scoring just two points on 1-of-5 shooting in the first half on Tuesday and with his team up against elimination, Mitchell led a comeback charge in the third quarter with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting. He scored or assisted on 29 of the Jazz's 32 points in that quarter, which Utah finished leading 78-75.
It was Mitchell's second 22-point quarter this postseason, with the other coming in the closeout Game 6 against the Thunder.