Mavericks at Jazz
The Dallas Mavericks make a second attempt at clinching a Western
Conference playoff spot on Monday and this time it comes against the
host Utah Jazz, an opponent that can tie Dallas for seventh place if it
wins the contest. The Mavericks had a six-game winning streak halted by
losing to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday while the Jazz routed the
Denver Nuggets to pull within a game of Dallas.
The Mavericks are trying to reach the playoffs for the 15th time in 16 seasons and they clinch a spot with either one win or one Houston loss. "Everybody should have plenty of gas, we ain’t guaranteed," Dallas shooting guard Wesley Matthews said after Sunday's 98-91 loss to the Clippers. "We're not just going to sit on our hands and hope Houston loses. We're going to go take a game." Utah moved closer to its first playoff appearance since 2012 with an impressive 100-84 road win over the Nuggets. "I don't have to talk a whole lot about it," Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters of the importance of Monday's game. "It speaks for itself."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, KTXA (Dallas), ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (41-39): Red-hot guard J.J. Barea (groin) sat out Sunday's loss and regular starting point guard Deron Williams (sports hernia) returned sooner than expected and scored 15 points in 29 minutes. Williams had missed the previous eight games and there's no guarantee he will be available for the second game of the back-to-back, which leaves Dallas coach Rick Carlisle wondering if he will have a healthy starting point guard against the Jazz. "We're heavily dependent on our training and medical staff to try to hold us together," Carlisle told reporters.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (40-40): Rookie power forward Trey Lyles was a surprise starter and even a more stunning hero as he scored a career-best 22 points against Denver. Lyles drew the start when Derrick Favors was a late scratch due to soreness in his right knee and made a career-best four 3-pointers during his stellar showing. "That's the thing about this team. It's been happening all year," Snyder said afterward. "Individually, we've got guys that have depth of character. And then when you put them together collectively, they've been pulling together all year. It was good to see."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams have split two contests this season but the Mavericks have won nine of the past 11 meetings.
2. Utah C Rudy Gobert had 16 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots against Denver after not having a block and contributing just seven points and seven rebounds during Friday's overtime loss to the Clippers.
3. Barea averaged 25.8 points in a four-game stretch before being injured during Friday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies.