If the Utah Jazz don’t lose by 50 points when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday in Salt Lake City, it would be an improvement compared to their performance in the teams’ previous meeting.
The Jazz’s forgettable 147-97 loss at Dallas on Dec. 6 was accompanied by one of the more memorable postgame quotes from a flabbergasted coach.
“That was an absolutely horrendous performance from start to finish,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “That was a masterpiece of dog (expletive). I really don’t know how to describe that game.”
Playing without two of their top players — Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson — the Jazz were only 40.2 percent from the field while allowing the Mavericks to shoot 55.4 percent.
It tied for the second-worst loss in Jazz franchise history (50 seasons), trailing only a 158-102 loss to Milwaukee in March 1979. That was before the team relocated to Utah later that same year.
“It seemed like the Mavericks were moving at a different pace than we were from start to finish,” Hardy said after the Dec. 6 blowout.
On the bright side for the Jazz, they have been playing much better since that debacle from a few weeks ago. They also have a healthy roster.
Utah’s nice 117-109 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday was its seventh victory in 10 outings, which is the best stretch of the Jazz’s season. Collin Sexton led Utah in scoring with 22 points. He’s averaged 23.1 points in his past 10 games.
“It’s a great feeling when we’re all healthy and pretty much it’s out there playing and it’s fun, you can tell,” Sexton said. “I feel like the basketball is moving and popping around.”
Luka Doncic was the biggest reason for the lopsided score in the first meeting. The Mavericks star compiled a triple-double in the first half and finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in three quarters against the Jazz.
Doncic hit six 3-pointers and made 14 of 25 field-goal attempts in 32 minutes.
“Luka set the tone with that, knocking down shot after shot after shot … after shot after shot after shot,” the Mavericks’ Tim Hardaway Jr. said. “I thought he was going to go 50-20-20.”
Doncic had another big game in Dallas’ 132-122 win at Golden State on Saturday night. He scored 39 points, including 25 in the second half, and contributed 10 assists and eight rebounds. Doncic put the Mavericks up 101-89 in the third with 14 points that quarter.
The explosive outing came after Doncic missed Thursday’s game at Minnesota due to soreness in his left quadriceps.
Former Jazz guard Dante Exum, who has revived his NBA career in Dallas this season, scored 19 points against the Warriors, while Josh Green scored a season-high 18. Dereck Lively II totaled 14 rebounds and 12 points in San Francisco.
“It was a great team win. It’s hard to win in this building,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “Great group win, defensively and offensively.”
Seth Curry (illness) and Kyrie Irving (heel) both missed the game against Golden State. Both are listed as questionable for Monday.
–Field Level Media