SALT LAKE CITY – The Dallas Mavericks will try to do to the Utah Jazz what they did to the Phoenix Suns.
Win a game without Luka Doncic.
This past Thursday when Doncic left for good with a sprained left ankle three minutes and 21 minutes into the game against Phoenix, the Mavs conjured up enough magic to knock off the Suns, 99-95, in a performance about resiliency and defense. The Mavs hope to do the same thing to the Jazz when the two teams fight it out at 8 p.m. Saturday at Vivint Arena.
Doncic will sit out Saturday’s game while nursing that sprained ankle. When he stepped aside Thursday, Spencer Dinwiddie stepped up and manufactured a season-high 36 points, six rebounds and nine assists with only one turnover in 40 awe-inspiring minutes.
Also, Dorian Finney-Smith scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. That’s the first time in his career he’s put up those type of numbers in a game.
Meanwhile, Dwight Powell finished with 15 points and five boards, Tim Hardaway Jr. collected 11 points and nine rebounds, and Reggie Bullock added 10 points. If the Mavs can duplicate that performance, they’ll have a solid chance of finishing this road trip the way they wanted to – with a perfect 2-0 record.
“It’s two teams that we played in the playoffs last year,” forward Reggie Bullock said. “Our mentality is to try to leave this road trip undefeated, so we’re taking these two games very personally.
“We know where we need to get back to and how we need to get back to playing great basketball. Our mindset is being able to take this one game at a time.”
Last year the Mavs eliminated the Jazz in six games in the opening round of the playoffs, then sent the Suns packing in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals.
Behind 33 points, five rebounds, 11 assists and two steals from Doncic, the Mavs rallied from a 15-point deficit to defeat the Jazz, 103-100, in Dallas back on Nov. 2. Also in that game, Christian Wood collected 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Dinwiddie contributed 20 points, five assists and four steals.
For the Jazz in that contest, Jordan Clarkson finished with 22 points, five rebounds and eight assists, Collin Sexton scored 19 points, James Vanderbilt tallied 15 points, and All-Star game hopeful Lauri Markkanen finished with 14 points and seven boards.
Like Doncic, the Mavs will again be without Wood against the Jazz. Wood will be missing his fifth straight game with a fractured left thumb.
Also, Maxi Kleber (right hamstring tear) will not play against the Jazz.
*This is the finale of a two-game road trip for the Mavs, who open a two-game home stand Monday against the Detroit Pistons. The home stand concludes with Thursday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans before the Mavs start a five-game road trip on Feb. 4 against the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
*Mavs guard Spencer Dinwiddie is averaging 17.3 ppg and 5.3 apg, and needs just four steals to reach 300 for his career. The last time the Mavs played the Jazz, Dinwiddie had four steals.
*The only players this season averaging at least 20 points and shooting at least 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range are Golden State’s Stephen Curry – and Markkanen. For the season, Markkanen is shooting 52 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from three-point range.
*Because he was scoreless in less than four minutes of playing time against the Suns, Luka Doncic’s scoring average dropped from a league-leading 33.8 ppg to 33 ppg. He is now second in the NBA in scoring behind Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, who averages 33.4 ppg.
*Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson reached the 10,000-point milestone during a game against the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 3. Clarkson, who averages 21 ppg, is one of only 60 active players to score at least 10,000 career points.
*In his five games since returning from a right elbow injury, Josh Green is averaging 10.4 ppg and shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point land.
*Jazz point guard Mike Conley is averaging 10.5 ppg and a career-best 7.5 apg this this season.
DALLAS MAVERICKS (26-24) at UTAH JAZZ (25-26)
When: 8 p.m., Saturday
Where: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City
TV: Bally Sports Southwest
Radio: 97.1 FM The Freak; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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