Mavs Take Momentum Into Game 3 vs. Jazz; Luka Doncic Returning?

The Luka Doncic-less Dallas Mavericks added more pressure to the fully-healthy Utah Jazz by tying the series at 1-1 on Monday night.

Dallas Mavericks fans are still riding a high after they watched their team knock off the Utah Jazz in Game 2 at American Airlines Center on Monday night, 110-104.

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

It was “delirium in Dallas,” as NBA TV’s play-by-play man Kevin Calabro exclaimed on the nationally televised broadcast as the Mavs closed things out in the fourth quarter. The AAC was jumping as Jalen Brunson put up a career-best 41 points with no turnovers, and Maxi Kleber swishing home a career-best eight 3-pointers.

Now, as the series shifts to Salt Lake City, there is optimism that superstar Luka Doncic, who has yet to play this postseason due to a calf strain, could play in either Game 3 or Game 4. Doncic has been seen doing more on-court work over the last few days, and coach Jason Kidd says he’s getting better by the day.

“I think there’s a decision to be made,” Kidd said. “As an organization, we’ve been in this (situation) before with Dirk (Nowitzki) when he was 23 with his knee against San Antonio in ’03. And Nellie (then-coach Don Nelson) made that decision to not play him.

“Everybody wasn’t happy. But we got to pay attention to history. As an organization, that time is coming that we’re going to have to make that decision, either way.”

On this episode of the Mavs Step Back Podcast, host Dalton Trigg is joined by DallasBasketball.com colleague Grant Afseth and NBC News reporter Ben Collins to break down the Mavs’ Game 2 win, discuss how it changes things for Dallas going forward, adjustments that could be made for Game 3, and much more.

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