Doncic, Mavs Have 3-2 Lead Again; Can They Get Over the Hump?

With better defense and more experience, the Dallas Mavericks try to learn from past mistakes going into a closeout Game 6 at the Utah Jazz.

The Dallas Mavericks are in familiar territory as they prepare for Thursday night’s Game 6 against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. After blowing the Jazz off the American Airlines Center court in a 102-77 rout in Game 5, the Mavs have a 3-2 series lead and two chances to close things out.

Last season, the Mavs won a pivotal Game 5 against the Los Angeles Clippers to take a 3-2 lead. However, Dallas wasn’t able to finish the job and lost the next two games. The result was former general manager Donnie Nelson being fired and former coach Rick Carlisle stepping down in the offseason after a decade without a playoff series win.

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Cooper Neill/NBAE via Getty Images

Can the Mavs finally get over their first-round hurdle? It appears the conditions are much more favorable this time around.

For starters, this current version of the Jazz isn’t nearly as tough of a challenge as taking on a fully-healthy Clippers team lead by two-time champion Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. In that series, it was a tossup whether Leonard or Doncic was the best player in the series. There's no doubt Doncic is the best player in the Jazz series.

Secondly, consider the drastic changes this Mavs team has made defensively in just a year’s time. Mavs coach Jason Kidd deserves credit for getting all of his guys — including Doncic, who showed off his two-way play in Game 5 — to buy in on that side of the floor. Dallas’ defensive tenacity was on full display Monday night.

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GM Nico Harrison’s first free agency signing as an NBA executive was stealing 3-and-D wing Reggie Bullock from the New York Knicks. Bullock was regarded as being the heart-and-soul of that Knicks team, and his influence on the Mavs has been key to their 2022 surge. Having another elite perimeter defender has also lessened the load for Dorian Finney-Smith, making him even more effective.

Simply put, this Mavs defense has taken a toll on the Jazz. Utah was starting to show signs of being tired even before Doncic returned to action, and now that he’s back, the Jazz appear to be out of counter moves. If not for an egregious no-call on Donovan Mitchell in Game 4, this series could already be over in five games.

Speaking of Mitchell, his injury status is another reason why things could finally be different for Dallas this year. In the fourth quarter of Game 5, Mitchell had to leave the game with a hamstring injury. He is reportedly having an MRI done on Tuesday, and his availability for Game 6 on Thursday is in question. For a tired Jazz team facing a 3-2 deficit, potentially losing their best player might be the nail in the coffin.

Cooper Neill/NBAE via Getty Images

Cooper Neill/NBAE via Getty Images

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Overall, there is just a different feel to this year’s Mavs. In the previous two seasons, the idea of Dallas going up 2-1 in a playoff series without Doncic playing would’ve been laughable, but the core of Jalen Brunson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Finney-Smith, Bullock and others made that a reality this year.

The Mavs know they still have work to do, but they also have ultimate confidence heading to Utah to close out the Jazz. This is a different team dealing with a more-favorable set of circumstances.

“We have to approach it the same way we did today,” Brunson said of his team’s mindset heading into Game 6. “They’re going to be ready. They’re going to be guns blazing when they get back home. We’ve got to be prepared for that. The same time, we have to stick together and really stay focused on us.

“They will be ready. They’re not just going to just lay down. They’re going to fight.”

Although it’s true that the Jazz will fight with their season on the line, the only team that can beat the Mavs in this series is themselves. Let’s see what they’ve learned from their past mistakes.