1. DIRK’S SEASON HIGH: In perhaps his last visit to Salt Lake City, Dirk Nowitzki turned back the clock one more time. While making his first start of the season, the 21-year veteran poured in a season-high 15 points on a season-high six made field goals and a season-high three made 3-pointers. And it all came while playing a season-high 25 minutes – on the second night of a brutal back-to-back. It was a deuce and a trey by Nowitzki that got the Mavs within 86-83 of the Jazz early in the fourth quarter. In all, Nowitzki proved that no matter the circumstances, he still is a threat as long as he’s on the court.
  2. LOW TURNOVERS: Against an aggressive ball-hawking team like the Jazz, the Mavs did what no Mavs team has ever done in their nearly 40-year history. They turned the ball over just three times against Utah. That’s the lowest number of turnovers the Mavs have ever committed in a game. The lowest. Two of the turnovers came in the first quarter and the other one in the fourth quarter. It was an impressive statistical showing by the Mavs considering they averaged 15 turnovers per game in their previous five contests. The low turnover number helped the Mavs attempt 97 field goals to just 85 for the Jazz.
  3. BURKE BACK WHERE IT ALL STARTED: Trey Burke was back in the place where his NBA career got off the ground. And he reminded folks around here just how prolific of a scorer he can be. Drafted ninth overall in the first round by the Jazz in 2013, Burke needed only 23 minutes to score 20 points against Utah on Saturday. The seven-year veteran – he played three seasons for the Jazz — was 8-of-15 from the floor to go with three assists. The 6-1 guard also played big enough to collect a team-high seven rebounds, including a game-high three offensive rebounds.
  4. HARDAWAY STRIKES AGAIN: Slowly but surely, Tim Hardaway Jr. is getting comfortable with his surroundings. In his seven games since joining the Mavs following that Jan. 31 blockbuster trade with the New York Knicks, Hardaway has scored 20 or more points three times. And all three of those have come in the past five games, including the 21 points he tallied against Utah. Hardaway was 6-of-13 from the field and 2-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc. He also made all seven of his free throw attempts, in addition to grabbing five rebounds and dispensing four assists.
  5. LUKA’S ABSENCE HURT: Luka Doncic sat out his second straight game while nursing soreness in his right ankle. And his absence was sorely missed, especially during critical moments in the fourth quarter when the Mavs needed a key basket to stay in the game. That’s Doncic’s forte: The bigger the stage, the more he tends to find a way to prosper. After getting within three points of the Jazz early in the fourth quarter, the Mavs went 1-of-7 from the field, were outscored 17-4 and fell behind 103-87. A healthy Doncic likely would have prevented that downward spiral from occurring.

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