After a well-balanced first half, the Utah Jazz (7-7) have no chance to get back together after the change of sides. The Dallas Mavericks (6-8) conjure up a spectacular performance on the floor and sweep the Jazz out of the hall with 118:68!
What a disassembly! Jazz catch one of the worst failures in franchise history – the 50-point slap was the highest defeat since 1979, when jazz was still based in New Orleans and lost 56 points to Milwaukee. On the other hand, the Mavs also set a record, only in a positive way.
Dallas allowed two only 22 points at halftime, the fewest in their franchise history. At the same time, the Mavs on the other side did much better than their opponents and sunk 58.4 percent out of the field and 42.9 percent from downtown (12/28 threes).
In the first 24 minutes the two teams played a very balanced match. About six minutes before the break, the hosts were only 39-38 in front, but then Dallas started a 19-8 run until the end of the second quarter.
The spectacular final point was set by Luka Doncic. The No.3 pick caused a sensation right at the beginning of the game with a spectacular block, shortly before the buzzer at halftime he also hammered an ice-cold stepback trio into the ears of the Jazz.
It was 3 of “only” 13 points (5/13 FG), but despite the rather low score Doncic once again shone in numerous facets of the game (6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block). Best man, however, was Harrison Barnes, who scored 19 points, and the bench, led by J.J. Barea (14 and 5 assists), also played very well. Maxi Kleber scored 4 points and 7 rebounds (in 21 minutes) and had the best plus/minus score of his team (+31).
So Dallas continued his own run even after the change of sides, the lead grew more and more. And while the Jazz – where Ricky Rubio was the best scorer with 11 points, but disappointed as well as Donovan Mitchell (10 points, 3/9 FG) – simply didn’t score a barn goal, the Mavericks showed no mercy.
“There was a point where we just gave up. We all have to grab each other’s noses,” said Quin Snyder, the visibly assisted jazz coach after the game. Dallas, on the other hand, showed a completely different face. The reservists kept pushing the gas, only the bank players of the Mavs got 66 points – only 2 less than the whole jazz team!
No wonder frustration took over at some point. Derrick Favors received a Flagrant One after a hard foul on Barea, three Mavs players got a technical foul after a scuffle.
The third victory in a row in Dallas was not spoiled by this, not even by a slight injury of Wesley Matthews (thigh), who had to leave the game in the third quarter. Whether he can be part of the duel against the Warriors this weekend is not yet clear.