Mavericks Vs. Jazz: Dallas Comes Up Short In Grueling 3OT Loss
Overtime was bad news again for the Mavericks on this road trip, as Dallas came up short in a 123-121 3OT loss to Utah that dropped them to seventh place in the Western Conference.
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For the second consecutive day, the Dallas Mavericks lost a tough overtime road game against one of the teams they're competing with in the Western Conference.
The younger legs of the Utah Jazz proved to be the difference as the minutes started reaching into the 50's for the top players on both teams, with Utah repeatedly coming up for loose balls as the game wore on and on.
Dirk Nowitzki had one of his best performances of the season, scoring 40 points on 13-26 shooting while getting 9 rebounds and 8 assists.
However, he was matched by Al Jefferson, who had a 28 point, 25 rebounds performance, including multiple step-back jumpers over Dallas defenders in the extra session.
Utah needed the win to stay in the playoff race, while the Mavericks have will little time to rest before they go home to face an equally desperate Houston team on Wednesday night.
For more news and notes on the Mavericks, check out Mavs Moneyball.
After a slow start to the first half of their road game against the Utah Jazz, the front-court duo of Dirk Nowitzki and Brandan Wright energized the Mavericks in the second quarter, keeping Dallas in the game at 43-42.
Dirk was getting his shot at will, drawing 8 foul shots while repeatedly attacking the rim. He has already scored 20 points on 6-9 shooting.
Wright, meanwhile, had two rejections way above the rim, providing Dallas with a defensive presence in the lane.
Outside of Dirk, the Mavericks starters were extremely stagnant offensively. Vince Carter and Jason Terry provided a spark off the bench, with Carter continuing to excel now that he's been given more of a role as a shot-creator on the second unit. In one memorably sequence, Carter soared between two Utah defenders for a monstrous dunk off a set play.
The Jazz got a strong effort from former Dallas PG Devin Harris, who knocked down 3 three-pointers on his way to an 11 point half.
The game is crucial for both teams, as Dallas is 2.5 games ahead of Utah with only two weeks left to go in the regular season.
For more coverage of the game, stay tuned to SB Nation Dallas' exclusive storystream and head over to Mavs Moneyball.
