Doncic, Mavs Come Up Short, Fall to Jazz in Clutch

The Dallas Mavericks put up a good fight against the Utah Jazz, but their breakdown in the third quarter was ultimately their undoing as Utah pulled away with a win.

After taking in a week-long NBA All-Star break, the Dallas Mavericks hoped to keep their positive momentum going against a tough Utah Jazz team with final stretch of the season ahead of them. The Mavs put up a valiant effort, but they ultimately fell to the Jazz, 114-109.

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Luka Doncic gets a rare clean look vs. Rudy Gobert.

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Luka Doncic attempts to flip in a layup against Jazz backup center Hassan Whiteside.

Luka Doncic had averaged over 40 points per game since Kristaps Porzingis was traded to the Washington Wizards, but he only put in 23 points on 8-of-24 shooting against Utah. He also pitched in 11 assists and seven rebounds. Rudy Gobert was a big part of Doncic's struggles, especially down the stretch as he stifled every move Doncic tried to make. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year made his presence known in this game — even if that presence meant getting away with some contact due to his elite defensive reputation.

"I like the matchup [against Gobert],” said Doncic. “I think twice I got fouled, but I know the ref — he won’t call a foul. I know every time, he don’t like me, but I thought I got fouled."

Rudy Gobert with the lockdown defense on Luka 👀 pic.twitter.com/8KzWU2IiW0

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 26, 2022

Doncic could have a legitimate gripe, as the Mavs only shot eight free throws on the night compared to Utah’s 22. And the disparity only got worse as the game went on, as Dallas only had one free throw attempt in the entire second half.

As good of a job as Gobert did on Doncic at times, the same can't be said about his defense on Dwight Powell. Although he wasn't a factor down the stretch, Powell put up 22 points and seven rebounds while shooting 9-of-12 from the field. The pick-and-roll chemistry between Doncic and Powell is as good as it's ever been.

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Luka Doncic fights through tough Utah Jazz traffic on the way to the rim.

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Dwight Powell gave Rudy Gobert all he could handle by scoring 22 points.

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Jordan Clarkson and Jalen Brunson battle for possession in what was a highly contested game.

Despite the loss, the Mavs have to be encouraged by what they saw from Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans off the bench. The two newly acquired Mavericks poured in a combined 37 points on on 14-of-21 shooting. Dinwiddie hit 3-of-4 from deep, and Bertans nailed five threes of his own. Both players hit big shots in the fourth quarter as well. If this trend continues, the Mavs will definitely be feeling as if they won the trade with the Wizards, especially when considering that Porzingis has yet to make his Washington debut.

Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 33 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field and 7-of-12 from deep. Gobert finished the night with 14 points and 17 rebounds, which is on par with his season averages. The Mavs are now 2.5 games back of the Jazz in the West standings with two head-to-head meetings remaining.

Although the perimeter defense was lacking throughout the game, the Mavs still managed to win both the first and the second quarters and had a 67-60 halftime lead. Things unraveled for Dallas in the third quarter, though, as Utah won the period by a 29-19 margin. The Mavs were ultimately not able to overcome that breakdown.

Things won't get any easier for the Mavs as they now shift focus to a Sunday night matchup with the second-place Golden State Warriors. The Mavs and Warriors have split the season series 1-1 so far with both games being blowouts. Can Dallas keep Steph Curry contained enough to capture a much-needed bounce-back road win?