NBA: Without Luka Doncic, Mavericks lose again, this time to Jazz
Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz shoots over Dorian Finney-Smith #10 of the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a game at Vivint Arena on January 28, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Alex Goodlett/Getty Images/AFP
Lauri Markkanen scored 29 points and rookie Walker Kessler amassed his 10th double-double to help the Utah Jazz overcome the short-handed Dallas Mavericks 108-100 Saturday night in Salt Lake City.
Kessler finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots, and Malik Beasley added 19 points as the Jazz opened a five-game homestand.
The Mavericks were without Luka Doncic, who sprained his ankle Thursday against Phoenix. Dallas dropped to 0-6 on the season without their Slovenian superstar.
and the three-streak continues (38-straight games) 🇫🇮#TakeNote | @markkanenlauri pic.twitter.com/xlmnlhBnWf
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 29, 2023
Spencer Dinwiddie led all scorers with 35 points and six 3-pointers while dishing out eight assists to keep the game competitive for the Mavericks, who have lost six of eight games. Reggie Bullock contributed 19 points off the bench.
Utah led 82-66 when the Mavericks made a push, scoring 10 straight to cut the lead to six in the third quarter. Dallas outscored Utah 28-18 in the period.
The Jazz led 101-89 midway through the fourth after a pair of Markkanen free throws, but Dallas made things interesting with a 9-2 spurt to pull within five.
Markkanen ended the Mavs’ surge with a key 3-pointer to up the Jazz’s edge to 106-98 with 2:14 remaining. Kessler hit 2 of 4 free throws to seal the win for Utah.
The Mavericks briefly led in the first quarter after Dinwiddie drained 3-pointer to go ahead 8-5. Utah responded with an 11-2 run and took a 34-23 lead at the end of the first thanks in part to an 11-1 burst.
Beasley gave the Jazz a 66-48 halftime lead with a last-second 3-pointer at the end of the second quarter.
Kelly Olynyk returned to the lineup for the Jazz after missing nearly three weeks with an ankle injury. He scored his only points on a 3-pointer as Utah seized the lead for good in the first quarter.
Mike Conley scored only four points, but he helped the Jazz offense with 11 assists. Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points on an off-night of shooting (4-for-13), and Collin Sexton added 12.
