Jazz's Mitchell clears concussion protocol, expected to return vs. Nets

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell has cleared the NBA's concussion protocol, the team announced Thursday, setting up his likely return to the lineup against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.

The Jazz went 2-6 with the two-time All-Star sidelined after he suffered a head injury against the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 17. Utah is 26-14 (.650) when Mitchell has played this season.

Mitchell, 25, averaged 25.5 points on a career-best 52.8% effective field-goal rate across 40 appearances before his injury. The Jazz have outscored opponents by 7.9 points per 100 possessions with the fifth-year Louisville product on the floor; the team's net rating drops to three points per 100 possessions with Mitchell on the bench.

Mitchell's return is especially timely following a season-ending ACL injury to veteran forward Joe Ingles, whose 3.5 assists per game ranked third on the team behind Mike Conley (5.3) and Mitchell (5.2).