Mitchell expects Simmons to 'respond back' following 1-point outing

Donovan Mitchell and Ben Simmons may have a budding rivalry as the two leading candidates for Rookie of the Year, but the Utah Jazz guard has thrown his support behind the point forward.

Simmons put in a disastrous one-point, five-turnover performance Tuesday in the Philadelphia 76ers' Game 2 loss to the Boston Celtics, but Mitchell maintains those nights can happen to anyone.

"The biggest thing that people don't understand is that every player has that night," Mitchell told reporters at Jazz shootaround Friday afternoon. "You look at LeBron against the Mavs in the Finals, he had eight points (in Game 4). There was one year I was watching Harden play against the Warriors, and he had about 10 turnovers in a playoff game. So it happens to everybody."

Mitchell is adamant Simmons' struggles were an anomaly and he fully expects a strong response.

"I expect him to respond back. He's a good player. Good players respond back, and it's all about the response. It's a testament to his character. But it happens. He can't play great every night. It's not as easy as some people think."

Despite his modesty, Mitchell has been playing some great basketball during Utah's playoff run, averaging 26.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and four assists per game.