Can You Believe It? Jalen Brunson 41 Points Leads Mavs Over Jazz in Game 2
The shorthanded Dallas Mavericks went into Game 2 hoping for any kind of offensive spark they could get after losing Game 1 to the Utah Jazz, 99-93 – a game where they shot just 4-of-18 on wide-open 3-pointers.
From the Mavs' lips to God's ears, Dallas indeed found some of those sparks in the play of Jalen Brunson and Maxi Kleber at American Airlines Center on Monday night. The Mavs went on to win a thriller, 110-104. It was Dallas' first playoff win at home since April 2015.
Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images
Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images
Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images
In what could be seen as a tribute to Dirk Nowitzki, Brunson led the Mavs from the jump, finishing with a career-high 41 points, eight rebounds and five assists while shooting 15-of-25 from the field and a sizzling 6-of-10 from 3-point range. Most-importantly, though, Brunson didn't turn the ball over even once.
Brunson is the first Maverick in team history with a 40-point, zero-turnover performance in the playoffs. He already made himself a lot of extra money this season, but he might have made a few extra dollars with this stellar performance in Game 2. Just ask coach Jason Kidd.
"He's gonna make a lot of money," said Kidd. "I don't know if he needs an agent. It's not just what he did tonight. He's shown (all season) he deserves to be paid."
Kleber, who has struggled greatly for the better part of two months now, finally broke out of his funk in a big way by scoring 25 points off the bench on 8-of-11 from deep. Kleber also grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists. If can keep up this momentum heading into the rest of the series, the Mavs might be able to pull off a series win with or without Luka Doncic, who remained out with a calf strain for Game 2.
Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images
Tom Pennington/Getty Images
Tom Pennington/Getty Images
"We (Luka) buy him time," said Dinwiddie. "It's not rocket science. We want to have him back as quickly and safely and health-ily as possible, but we're still trying to win the series, regardless."
As for making open shots? The Mavs completely flipped the script from Game 1 to Game 2 by hitting 17 uncontested 3s in the win. It was the most by any other team in the last 10 postseasons.
Next up, the series shifts to Salt Lake City for Games 3 and 4. It remains to be seen if Doncic will make his series debut or not, but even if he does play, the Mavs will have to do something they've never done in the Doncic era – win in Utah.
Can the Mavs get it done on Thursday night and take control of the series? Whether it happens or not, one thing is for sure, the Mavs are as confident as they've ever been.
