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May 23 (UPI) -- Utah Jazz star guard Donovan Mitchell won't play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series. Mitchell has been working toward a return from a sprained right ankle. He has been sidelined for more than a month because of the injury.
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On Thursday, Mitchell returned to practice and said he planned to play in the Jazz's playoff opener. Utah, however, opted to give him more time to recover and ruled him out for its first postseason game this year.
"That's the goal," Mitchell said last week. "Barring any setbacks, God forbid -- knock on wood -- that's the goal. I'm just trying to go out there and be there for my teammates and try to help to go out there and win a championship. That's the goal. It's been the goal all year."
The 24-year-old Mitchell, who averaged career bests of 26.4 points and 5.2 assists this season, missed the Jazz's past 16 games as Utah (52-20) clinched the NBA's best record and the top seed in the West.
Mitchell sustained the ankle injury April 16 against the Indiana Pacers when he jumped to deflect a long outlet pass and landed awkwardly, with his foot coming down underneath Pacers guard Edmond Sumner.
The Jazz won all three games this season against the eight-seeded Grizzlies, averaging 118 points in the meetings. Mitchell, a two-time All-Star selection, averaged 35 points on 60% shooting from the field in those contests.
