GAME 5: Utah Jazz (2-2) at DALLAS MAVERICKS (2-2)
Time: 8:30 p.m., Monday.
Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas.
TV: Bally Sports Southwest, TNT.
Radio: The Eagle 97.1 FM; Univision Zona MX 99.1 FM (Spanish)
Format: Best-of-Seven.
About the Jazz: They showed a pulse in Game 4 at Vivant Arena with a thrilling 100-99 victory, manufactured when Donovan Mitchell found Rudy Gobert with a lob pass for a dunk with 11 seconds left . . . That knotted the series and turned it into a best-of-three . . . Though Mitchell has shot only 39.6 percent in the series, he’s averaging 30.3 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds and has shot just 23.5 percent (8-for-34) from 3-point range . . . The Jazz’s biggest asset in their Game 4 win was Gobert, who had 17 points and 15 rebounds. He also made 18 trips to the free-throw line, which was part of a 42-23 edge in foul shots for the Jazz . . . Both teams know the importance of Game 5. The winner of this game in a series tied at 2 goes on to advance to the next round of the playoffs 82.2 percent of the time (180-39). So a loss doesn’t make it impossible to win the series, but a win Monday night makes it far more likely that the victorious team will be playing beyond this week . . . The Jazz began pressuring Luka Dončić in the backcourt or as soon as he got over the midcourt line during the second half of Game 4. The Mavericks responded with a strong third quarter from Jalen Brunson. Utah’s defense has limited the Mavericks to 44.5 percent shooting overall, but the Jazz are surrendering 38.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc . . . The Jazz slowed things to a crawl in Game 4 with only three fast-break points (the Mavericks had only six). But that appears to be the Jazz’s ticket to success. They have held the Mavericks to 99 and 93 points in their wins. In the Dallas wins, the Mavericks have averaged 118 points.
About the Mavericks: Luka Dončić got back in action in Game 4, but it was not exactly the most triumphant of returns with the last-gasp loss in Utah. Still, after missing 13 days and the first three games of the series with a strained left calf muscle, he came back with 30 points and 10 rebounds while playing 34 minutes, probably about six less than his usual playoff allotment would be. He wasn’t the quickest player on the court, but then, he never is. But it was clear he’s on the road back to normalcy . . . So how do the Mavericks get back into the driver’s seat in this series? First, they must continue to rebound the ball well. After getting hammered in the first two games of the series, they only got beat on the glass by three rebounds in Game 4 and were dead-even (32-32) in the Game 3 win. They cannot afford to get outrebounded by 38 like they did in Games 1 and 2 at AAC . . . The Mavericks’ best player in the series has been Jalen Brunson, who is averaging 29.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He has shot 40.9 percent from 3-point range and he’s gotten the attention of the Jazz from the very start with his crafty playmaking. “He’s constantly using his feet to get you off balance and he’s patient in the lane,” Utah coach Quin Snyder said of Brunson. “Sometimes you think you have him stopped and he gets the shot off over you. He makes you guard him all through the possession.” Brunson’s herky-jerky, change-of-speed style can seem unorthodox at times. But he manages to get shots off in the blender, as teams like to call the paint where all the big men like to hang out defensively. And he’s been making the long ball . . . Dwight Powell had an improved outing in Game 4 with the return of his lob-pass partner, Luka. However, missing the two free throws with 19 seconds left that could have pushed the Mavericks’ lead to three points certainly will be something Powell will look to atone for in Game 5.
Twitter: @ESefko
Share and comment