GARA-1: DALLAS MAVERICKS-UTAH JAZZ 93-99 | THE TABLE
Con Reggie Bullock in the quintet instead of Luka DoncicDallas opens the 2022 edition of the NBA playoffs by challenging Utah, which confirms its usual quintet. First two points of Spencer Dinwiddie’s own racethe player (along with Jalen Brunson) to whom the Mavs look to make up for Doncic’s absence. Utah reacts with an 8-0 run driven by Mike Conley, broken by two baskets in a row by Brunson, after some errors at the start. Tre triple (two by Finney-Smith, the other by Bullock) they also keep Dallas ahead by 7 and definitely put the American Airlines Center audience into the game. After 9 minutes of the first quarter Donovan Mitchell hasn’t scored yetand this explains (in part) the advantage of the Mavs (21-16) despite the 8 points of a wonderful Bogdanovic. The hosts finish in front of the first quarter (23-20) but Utah is there, despite it 0/4 to Mitchell’s shotstill without points. Gobert also has no field baskets (but 4 free and already 8 rebounds) and so Dallas stretches, with Dinwiddie’s baskets, first in double digits, and with Maxi Kleber’s triple which is +8 (30-22). Dallas does not shoot particularly well from three (4/13) but Utah while never scoring from the arc (0/7) clings to the points (already 10) from Jordan Clarkson’s bench to make up for it below. After having collected a sensational block, on the next possession Mitchell finally finds the first basket of his evening (after 6 errors). And of Bogdanovic (after 9 team errors) the first three-pointer of the Jazz and it is always n ° 44, already scoring 15 points, to keep his team in the game, thanks ton partial 7-0 which brings them back to -2 (41-39). Utah puts his head in front just before the first half siren, and a triple from Bogdanovic (the second of his match to target, for 20 points total) sends the Jazz at the above interval of 2, 45-43. The Croatian is the best scorer of the first half, the only one of the Jazz to score from three (0/9 the rest of the team, 11 attempts in all when they try 40 in the evening on average) and the only one, together with Clarksonin double digit for points (Gobert is at 10, but by reboundswhile Mitchell closes the first half of the race with 1/9 and 2 points). On the other hand, in double figures there are the two most anticipated players at Mavs, Brunson (12) e Dinwiddie (10)but Dallas suffers from a rebound (-11) and does not shoot with good percentages.
The story of the second half
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Mitchell makes three baskets in the first minutes of the second half and in an instant he reaches double figures, with the free throwing Utah on 56-51. That something could change in the game of No. 45 also seems to indicate a triple table made with no little luck, for points 11, 12 and 13 and +6 Utah. The guests bet on the percentages from the opponent’s arc (0/2 unmarked by Josh Green, 5/21 overall from three) and seem to be right and a dunk by Mitchell on the break makes Dallas +9, on the prolonged break of the Mavs. It is precisely the sensational third quarter of the leader of the Jazz (19 points, 21 total) to launch the break of the guests, who touch the double digit advantage (66-56). Utah is to blame for not closing the game when it seems to be able to, so Dallas – with Bullock’s 9-meter triple – also returns to -5: Danuel House responds by 3 and so the Jazz go to the last break above 8, 73-65. Utah stops a bit in attack in the opening of the last quarter, and the Mavs do not give up but from -4 are sent back to -7 by another triple from Mitchell. He anchors the attack, Gobert the defense: only one shot in the whole game, but 3 blocks and 14 rebounds for the French center who then comes out replaced by Whiteside, which gives Utah +10. Little defensive discipline of the Jazz, however (and a series of unnecessary fouls) send in the line – a lot – the Mavs that even fall to -2 with Bullock’s triple, 3:33 from the end. They are two baskets of an experienced player like Mike Conley to try to keep Utah in front, but Dallas also has the overtaking ball 90 “from the end, but he fails. He does not fail from the arc instead Royce O’Nealewhich marks the first basket of his game (it was 0/4) with less than 60 seconds left for the +4 Utah. Mitchell and his teammates finally make it, take advantage of Doncic’s absence and snatch the field factor from the Mavs by passing on the Dallas parquet 99-93 in race-1: Mitchell’s 30 points in the second half alone (32 total) and Bogdanovic’s 26 points for the guests. For Dallas the top scorers are Brunson and Dinwiddie – 24 points for the first, 22 for the second – but the percentages of Texans are deficient (38% from the field, 28% from three) e to rebound they go under heavy (-21)struggling to contain Gobert (17 balls recovered under the scoreboards, only one shot taken – and wrong – in the whole match).
