“It’s About How We Respond” | Utah Faces Dallas In Critical Showdown Sunday Night | Utah Jazz

Three weeks ago, the Utah Jazz walked out of American Airlines Center following a difficult 111-103 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. 

While the game had been billed as a potential playoff preview, and Dallas’ Luke Doncic finished with a massive double-double of 35 points and 16 rebounds, the Jazz had circled the March 27th rematch on their calendar. 

“We might see them, and this already kind of felt like that,” Donovan Mitchell said that night following the loss. “We go up 2-0 in a sense, and then they come back and counter and take care of home court, so now it’s about how we respond on the 27th.”

March 27th has finally arrived, as the biggest game of the season is here when Utah faces Dallas in their final regular season meeting between the two teams. Tipoff in Texas is set for 5:30 p.m. MST.

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— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 25, 2022

If Mitchell thought the atmosphere at the beginning of March was playoff-like, then Sunday’s game will feel significantly more amplified. 

Throughout downtown Dallas, fans are walking around in Doncic jerseys, wearing the signature blue, and talking about the importance of the game. This is a town heavily involved in the Mavericks, most of whom know what’s at stake when the two teams meet.

“It might as well be the playoffs,” longtime Mavericks fan Roland Morgan said Saturday night. “We have Luka, but they (Utah) have a deeper team. What’s cool is that this game will be big in figuring out who has homecourt advantage. … And it’s something we want. We got a chance, so hopefully, nothing stands in our way.”

Morgan is right — in one sense. Sunday night is significant when it comes to playoff seeding. 

Both teams enter the game tied at 45-29, but due to their current head-to-head battle, Utah holds the No. 4 seed (and homecourt advantage) while the Mavericks sit at No. 5. A victory by Dallas moves them into the four-seed while a win by the Jazz would be he, essentially giving them a two-game lead since they’ll own the tiebreaker. 

37 games this season with 25 points or more #TakeNote | @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/CnoiqNKB40

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 26, 2022

For the Jazz, they’re in the midst of a season-long six-game road trip. It began a week ago in New York and have since played Brooklyn, Boston, and Charlotte. While the Jazz have lost their last three games, there is still a level of optimism within the team that they can turn things around and finish the trip strong. 

“I believe in this group. … If I didn’t believe it, I wouldn’t be here,” Rudy Gobert said. “Adversity has made us better in the past, and I think it’ll make us better again.”

While the road trip may put the Jazz at a serious disadvantage this late in the season, particularly regarding the importance of games, Utah refuses to see it that way. They view the trip as a lesson, something they can take from it, use it to their advantage late on, and become better in the end.

“I think it brings us together at a time you need to have that going in the playoffs,” Mike Conley said. “No, we don’t want to be on a cross-country trip, but it is what it is, and I think we’ll be better from having this trip this late in the year. … It’ll be great for us and allow us to come together, unite, get our chemistry rolling for the playoffs.”

45 double-doubles this season #PerformanceLeader | @UofUHealth pic.twitter.com/YQyEptOgtb

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 26, 2022

That chemistry needs to come together quickly as Dallas is loaded with weapons, constructing a team that utilizes Doncic’s skillset while displaying tough, physical defense. 

“They’re a team that is connected, and they’re really good,” head coach Quin Snyder said. “(Jalen) Brunson is a handful to guard, (Spencer) Dinwiddie has been playing great, Maxi (Kleber) is defensively one of the most underrated players in the league, he can stay in front of anybody, (Dwight) Powell’s ability to be up in pick-and-roll and then to protect the rim, (Dorian) Finney-Smith’s development, his ability to make shots to go with his on-ball defense, he’s one of the most versatile defenders in the league.”

| @JayBilas joins #TheNote to talk about the Duke brotherhood, Coach K’s final run & watching his former teammate Quin Snyder coach.

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— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 26, 2022

STATS
Utah (45-29, 19-18 away / No. 4 Western Conference)
Offense
*113.5 Points Per Game (No. 6 in NBA)
*116.1 Offensive Rating (No. 1 in NBA)

Defense
*107.6 Points Per Game (No. 10 in NBA)
*110.0 Defensive Rating (No. 11 in NBA)

*Donovan Mitchell: 26.1 points / 5.4 assists / 4.2 rebounds / 1.5 steals
*Rudy Gobert: 15.3 points / 14.6 rebounds / 2.1 blocks / 71.2% shooting 
*Jordan Clarkson: 16.1 points / 3.4 rebonds / 2.3 assists
*Mike Conley: 13.4 points / 5.3 assists / 40.4% 3P-shooting

Dallas (45-29, 25-12 home / No. 5 Western Conference)
Offense
*106.6 Points Per Game (No. 26 in NBA)
*111.1 Offensive Rating (No. 18 in NBA)

Defense
*104.1 Points Per Game (No. 2 in NBA)
*108.4 Defensive Rating (No. 6 in NBA)

*Luka Doncic: 27.8 points / 9.1 rebounds / 8.5 assists 
*Spencer Dinwiddie: 17.8 points / 4.2 assists / 39.2% 3P-shooting
*Jalen Brunson: 16.1 points / 4.9 assists / 37.1% 3P-shooting

MATCHUP TO WATCH
*Donovan Mitchell vs. Luka Doncic
— How could it be anything but? Mitchell is still vying for his first all-NBA team (and making a sensational case), while Doncic remains one of the elite players in the game. Both of them are capable of wining a game whether it be scoring or play-making, making this matchup fascinating in multiple ways.

INJURY REPORT
Utah
QUESTIONABLE — Hassan Whiteside (Right Foot Sprain)
OUT — Udoka Azubuike (right ankle sprain)
OUT — Bojan Bogdanovic (left calf strain)
OUT — Danuel House (left knee bone bruise)

Dallas
PROBABLE — Davis Bertans (Right Knee Soreness)
QUESTIONABLE — Trey Burke (Non-COVID Illness)
OUT — Sterling Brown (Health and Safety Protocols)
OUT — Tim Hardaway Jr. (Left Foot Surgery)
OUT — Theo Pinson (Right Fifth Finger Fracture)

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Time: 5:30 p.m. MST
Location: American Airlines Center / Dallas, TX
TV: AT&T SportsNet / NBATV
Radio: 1280 The Zone