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DALLAS — Once again, there will be no three-game winning streak for the Utah Jazz.
In a game against the Dallas Mavericks, Utah trailed just 83-82 with 15 seconds left. However, the veteran Mavericks made the final plays down the stretch, earning an 87-82 win over the Jazz.
Utah started poorly, trailing 22-9 at the end of the first quarter, but fought back in the second quarter, trailing 39-37 at the halftime break.
It was an ugly offensive game, and neither team ever took control over the other in the final contest before the All-Star break. Indeed, it was little plays that made the difference, and several key points that influenced the final outcome of the game.
No one would have ever guessed that Utah would make just 30-of-80 shots from the floor in Dallas, and have a chance to win in the final minutes. Just as no one would have guessed the Mavericks would shoot 37.3 percent and win the game. Derrick Favors had the best offensive night for Utah, from a shooting percentage standpoint, making 5-of-10 shots.
No matter how abysmal the shooting percentage was from the floor, the free-throw percentage was also just as poor. Utah made just 11-of-21 free throws — a statistic that decided the entire game.
In spite of all the offensive struggles, Utah owned the paint on both sides of the ball. First, the Jazz outscored the Mavericks 30-26 in the paint and outrebounded Dallas 52-38. The Jazz also earned seven blocks. This point brings up a larger point, which is Utah is controlling the paint against a majority of opponents. It is no coincidence the margin of games is falling along with it, as opponents are having more trouble taking advantage of Utah in the paint. The question for the Jazz now is this — when will they own the midrange and long-range shooting game?
Normally these points are long and tell a larger story, but sometimes a single statistic tells all. The Jazz committed 19 turnovers, which turned into 21 points for the Mavericks. In response, Dallas committed just 11 turnovers that Utah turned into 14 points. In a game like this, little things like that matter.
