Field Level Media
Mar 22, 2018
Rookie Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points on 11-of-22 shooting -- including a pair of baskets to hold off a late rally -- to lead the Utah Jazz to a 119-112 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday at American Airlines Arena ion Dallas.
Ricky Rubio totaled 22 points and five steals, Derrick Favors totaled 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Joe Ingles chipped in 18 points, 10 assists and six rebounds for the Jazz. Six different players scored in double figures for Utah and the Jazz shot 52.9 percent from the field.
J.J. Barea scored 23 points to lead the Mavericks. Harrison Barnes added 21 points and Yogi Ferrell chipped in 20 off the bench. Dallas lost despite shooting 17-for-32 (53.1 percent) from 3-point territory.
Barea sizzled in the first half, scoring 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting. As potent as he was on offense, the Jazz had plenty of answers on the other end. Mitchell, Rubio and Ingles piled up 38 points between them before halftime and shot a combined 15-of-22 from the field.
Utah opened the second quarter on a 15-3 run to seize control. Ingles opened the run with a 3-pointer, then Favors scored on a dunk and Ingles followed with a layup to finish it off, giving the Jazz a 52-37 lead. Utah made 19 of its first 27 shots from the field, but the Jazz weren't able to completely pull away before halftime.
Dallas ran off 11 unanswered points and cut Utah's lead to 54-51 when Yogi Ferrell finished off a 14-2 run with a 3-pointer. The Mavericks couldn't pull closer in the second quarter though. Rubio ended the run with his own 3-pointer and Crowder chipped in a pair of baskets to put the Jazz ahead 65-58 going into the second half.
Momentum stayed with Utah to open the third quarter. Rubio drained a pair of 3-pointers to punctuate an 11-2 run and put the Jazz up 76-60.
Dallas didn't get within single digits again until late in the fourth quarter. The Mavericks cut Utah's lead to 115-109 on Aaron Harrison's pull-up jumper with 1:17 left. Mitchell drove for back-to-back layups in the final minute to halt the rally.
--Field Level Media