Mavs Must Rebound in Game 2 vs. Jazz to Avoid Grim Series Odds

The Dallas Mavericks can't afford to go down 0-2 to the Utah Jazz as the series shifts to Salt Lake City after Game 2.

With Luka Doncic sidelined due to a left calf strain, the Dallas Mavericks put up a good fight against the fully-healthy Utah Jazz team in Game 1 despite ultimately losing, 99-93.

Thanks in large part to the Mavs' ability to get to the free-throw line, they managed to keep the game close in spite of shooting just 38 percent from the field and 28 percent from 3-point range. Dallas was also severely out-rebounded, 53-34.

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

“We lost by six, I missed six free throws, so we are right there," said Spencer Dinwiddie, who filled in for Doncic in the starting lineup and finished with 22 points and eight assists. "If anything this should be encouraging for the fan base in my opinion. We are disappointed in the locker room.

"But we had a chance to win it, and we just didn’t do it. ... I think overall, there is room for optimism."

Whether Doncic suits up in Game 2 or not, the Mavs must bounce back and win to avoid historically unfavorable odds as the series shifts to Utah. Dinwiddie is right when he says there's room for optimism, but that room shrinks significantly if Dallas falls into an 0-2 hole.

Throughout NBA history, teams that win Game 1 go on to win the series 78.2 percent of the time. Those odds aren't great for the shorthanded Mavs, but teams have come back from being down 0-1 in a playoff series 182 times, so it’s doable.

However, teams that fall into 0-2 holes have come back to win the series just 7.1 percent of the time. It's happened just 31 times, and the Mavs have been on both the good and bad ends of those situations before. One could make the argument that those grim odds increase if Doncic makes his return, and that might be true. But it's still nothing Dallas wants to play around with.

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

As for the aforementioned issues on the boards, the Mavs might quite literally have to rebound better in Game 2 in order to rebound and tie the series at 1-1.

"We've got to rebound the ball," said Kidd. "That's something that, again, we knew was going to be an issue, especially playing small. I thought that the guys fought. That's just something that we've got to get better at. If we can do that, then hopefully that will put us in a better seat to win."

The Mavs and Jazz will tip-off Game 2 at American Airlines Center at 7:30 p.m. central time on Monday night. Can the Mavs bounce back? Will Doncic make his series debut? Stay tuned to DallasBasketball.com to get all the latest updates.