Mavericks 124, Jazz 111: Three Hard Takeaways

The Utah Jazz couldn’t get out of their own way against the Dallas Mavericks.

Josh Green scored a career-high 29 points, while Tim Hardaway Jr chipped in 17 as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Utah Jazz, 124-111. Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 26 points in a losing cause.

Out of the gates, it appeared the Jazz would walk away with this one as they built a 33-18 lead against a team of role players and backups. But the Mavericks outscored Utah by a whopping 28 points the rest of the way to cruise to the victory. 

Prior to Monday night, Dallas was 0-7 without Luca Dončić in the lineup, but it wasn’t an issue at Vivint Arena, where the Mavericks beat the Jazz in every facet of the game,

What did we learn in Utah’s second home defeat in a row? Let’s break it down.

The Honeymoon is Over

Through the first quarter of the season, the Jazz were playing with a purpose. The combination of a new head coach and a roster of players that were here to cement their place in a new situation came with motivation. 

Well, those days are long gone. The Jazz looked like a lethargic group on the court and from the bench. Consistently getting beaten in transition and second-chance opportunities have been happening pretty regularly. 

The undersized Mavericks hauled in 17 offensive rebounds and outscored the Jazz 27-4 in fast-break points. Dallas, plain and simple, wanted it more.

Clarkson Ultimately Unproductive 

Although Clarkson finished the contest with 26 points, it wasn’t a productive night for the former Sixth Man of the Year. Clarkson led the team in missed shots (12), turnovers (four), and only dished out two assists for the game. 

Also, it was another career night for the opponent's starting backcourt, scoring 39 points on an efficient 55% shooting. It’s only one game, but Clarkson needs to do more than just score points if he’s going to remain a starter in this league. 

Clarkson is still averaging 4.2 assists on the year but has three or fewer in the last five out of six games. 

Trade Deadline Affecting Play

One has to wonder if the looming February 9 trade deadline is wearing the Jazz down. For a handful of players, it’s a coin flip on whether they’ll still be calling Salt Lake City home next week. 

It’s not an easy situation to be thrown into, but tuning out the noise is something all teams deal with. Let’s see if the Jazz can get out of this funk with the deadline now only 48 hours away.

Next up is another home game when Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves come to town on Wednesday night. Tip-off is at 7:00 pm MDT.

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