Dallas, TX — In their third series match-up of the season, the Dallas Mavs fired on all cylinders as they hosted the Utah Jazz for its 14th Annual “Seats for Soldiers” night.
“We’ve seen their best. They do some things that are difficult to defend and they are a very defensive team because of Gobert and Favors on the inside. We’ve got to come with a level of force,” stated Dallas’ Head Coach Carlisle prior to the game in regards to how his team could win Wednesday night.
And as Carlisle wanted, the Mavs did come with a “level of force” to defeat Utah. The force was so strong, Dallas ended up winning by 50-points, 118-68.
After the Jazz made two uncontested shots in the paint the first few minutes of the opening quarter, the Mavs defense started to tighten up. The team did manage to keep Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell — Utah’s stars — to four-points apiece. Dallas worked the floor and reserve players to their advantage by driving to the paint and draining impressive jump shots. By the end of the period, the Mavs were leading, 30-24.
Dallas’ offensive scheme created conflict for Utah’s bench, especially Grayson Allen. The rookie struggled to adjust to how the officials were calling the game and was pulled early in the second after picking up his third foul. But, soon Utah had its starters back in the game. Mitchell was able to drill a three-point shot to tie the score 34-34.
By the middle of the second frame, the Mavs changed the tempo of the game to pull away from the Jazz. Dennis Smith Jr. led the charge in transition creating a much faster speed. Harrison Barnes started to knock down his shots with the quicker tempo. Barnes drilled his 500 triple in his career as Dallas took the lead at intermission, 58-46.
Once the third period started, though, Utah completely fell apart. Missed rebounds and turnovers seemed uncharacteristic by Utah. Even the Jazz’s physicality was different, especially for a team that defeated the Mavs by double digits the past two games.
“There was a point where we stopped competing, and we all have to own that and obviously the scoreboard represented it,” Utah’s Head Coach Quin Snyder said after the game.
Dallas pulled down 36 rebounds compared to the Jazz’s 28 and forced 15 turnovers by the end of the third to stretch their lead to 84-59.
The fourth quarter showcased what the Mavs can execute when the court is stretched out successfully. In fact, all 13 active members scored tonight for Dallas. By the end of the game, the team shot 58.4% from the court and was led by Barnes’ team-high 19 points. Dwight Powell and Luka Doncic followed closely behind with 13 points each in the 118-68 victory.
Although Dallas flexed the limitless offensive prowess for the first time this season, a huge team victory came down to flawless defensive precision. The Mavs limited the Jazz to a mere 22 points in the entire second half and forced 22 turnovers.
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When it was all said and done, the Dallas Mavs returned to the court to speak with and take photos with military members and their family. Even though the night proved to be a stunning game, yet well-played basketball, it was a night the Mavs wanted to make all about the real heroes that make so many sacrifices off the court. Dallas’ 14th “Seats for Soldiers” ended with a statement, home team victory.
