SALT LAKE CITY, UT – The Dallas Mavericks (26-25) lost on Saturday night to the Utah Jazz (26-26) 108-100 without Luka Doncic. Doncic left early the game prior against the Suns with a minor sprained ankle. It’s day to day and undetermined when he is going to return but Dallas was without him on Saturday. Spencer Dinwiddie led the Mavs with 35 points, four rebounds and eight assists. Reggie Bullock was also hot from beyond the arc, he finished 5-of-8 from three.
Early on it looked like the lack of defense on Dallas’s side was turning into a blowout loss for Dallas on the road. Dinwiddie wasn’t going down that easy and brought the Mavs back in this game single handedly.
The Jazz was led by Lauri Markkannen who had 29 points for Utah and hit clutch shots in some key moments.
The game started with a 9-1 run for the Jazz with some key players making some big shots; Clarkson, Malik Beasley, and Rudy Gay. Utah shot 66 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three. Dallas on the other hand couldn’t get much going besides Dinwiddie. Dwight Powell and Josh Green recognized that and did well with spacing, giving Dinwiddie the ability to move through the defense and hit some clutch shots. Dallas shot 42 percent from the floor and 25 percent from beyond the arc.
The game got away from Dallas in the second quarter and it started and ended with poor transition defense. Which seems to be the same story line we have been talking about often this season. Utah took a 66-48 lead entering the half. Dallas couldn’t get much to fall in the second quarter, most shots that were thrown up were bricks. Even Dinwiddie couldn’t get much to fall, he shot 1-of-5 in the second quarter.
It was a completely different story in the third quarter for Dinwiddie. He went on a tangent in the third knocking down shots and getting open looks to his teammates. The defense did not change for Dallas more so that the Jazz were playing down to their opponent and stopped playing with urgency due to their big lead. The lead dwindled after Dinwiddie handed it to them in the third down to eight, Jazz led 84-76. Jazz only scored 18 points in the third quarter.
The Jazz got their lead up to 10 in the fourth quarter and held Dallas off for the remainder of the quarter.
The Mavs really missed Doncic’s absence and it showed in the offense. Yes, Dallas beating Phoenix without Doncic was a great win, but Dallas needs Doncic to have a successful offense. Some would say that Doncic holds the ball too much. It proved last night that they benefit with him on the floor.
Outside out Dinwiddie and Bullock hitting some three’s Dallas had nothing on offense. It was not organized and all over the place.
The Mavs short road trip is done and they will head back to Dallas to host the Detroit Pistons on Monday night in AAC. Tip off is at 7:30 PM.
