‘That’s A Go-To Guy Late’: Anthony Davis Injury, Turnovers Undo Dallas Mavericks Late Push In Loss To Utah Jazz
The Dallas Mavericks went nearly six minutes without committing a turnover Thursday night at Delta Center, opening their rematch with the Utah Jazz with the kind of control they have searched for throughout a difficult season.
For a team that entered the night 14–23 overall, 4–13 on the road, and carrying the league’s most clutch losses, that early composure felt meaningful — if fragile.
What followed was a familiar unraveling.
Once the first mistake surfaced, turnovers came in waves, fueling Utah’s transition attack and repeatedly flipping momentum. Despite extended stretches of strong execution — and another late fourth-quarter lead — Dallas could not overcome 21 turnovers, seven of them in the final period, falling 116–114 in another tight finish, its 29th clutch game of the season.
“We just have to do the little things and take care of the ball,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “When you have 20-something turnovers, that’s tough to win in this league.”
Utah converted those miscues into 25 points, a decisive margin in a two-point game. The loss dropped Dallas to 14–24 overall, 12–17 in clutch games — the most such losses in the NBA — and 4–14 on the road, pushing the Mavericks to 0–2 on the current trip after opening with a loss in Sacramento.
Clean Opening Gives Way to Utah’s First Surge
Dallas’ opening minutes were composed and purposeful. The Mavericks initiated offense through Anthony Davis, worked patiently through half-court sets and avoided the rushed decisions that have plagued them throughout the season.
That control vanished midway through the first quarter.
Brandon Williams attempted to push tempo on a fast break, but Keyonte George jumped the passing lane for a steal. On the next possession, Max Christie lost the ball on a drive, again with George anticipating the angle. The Jazz immediately cashed in, and the tone of the game shifted.
Utah leaned aggressively into rim pressure, scoring 24 of its 34 first-quarter points in the paint. Cody Williams punctuated the stretch with three dunks over four possessions, helping spark a 22–6 run that pushed the Jazz to a 34–29 lead after one.
Second-Quarter Sloppiness Forces a Reset
The turnover issue intensified in the second quarter. Utah extended its lead to 53–39 after Lauri Markkanen capped a 15–5 run with a dunk, again off a Dallas mistake.
With 3:38 remaining before halftime, Kidd walked onto the floor and signaled a timeout after another giveaway, an effort to stop the bleeding. Dallas responded by simplifying its offense, slowing the pace and committing just one more turnover the rest of the half, trimming the deficit to 58–55 at the break.
That steadier stretch proved critical as the Mavericks navigated further adversity.
Short-Handed Dallas Mavericks Find Composure in the Third
Dallas carried that calmer approach into the third quarter even as its rotation tightened. Williams missed the rest of the game due to illness, leaving the Mavericks without a traditional point guard for long stretches.
“No, I don’t think it’s tough,” Kidd said of rallying the group amid injuries. “That’s our norm with injuries or sickness. We lose guys, next guy up. I thought Ryan did a good job for us. Caleb did a good job. Klay did a great job. His 900th game, coming off the bench, gave us a spark.”
The Mavericks committed only three turnovers in the third quarter, leaning more heavily on half-court initiation through Davis and Cooper Flagg. Naji Marshall and Christie opened the half with back-to-back 3-pointers, briefly swinging the lead to Dallas at 61–60.
“I’ve been feeling really confident, getting comfortable behind the line,” Flagg said. “Teams are going to start giving that up, so I just have to be confident, step into it, and knock it down.”
Flagg controlled tempo, attacked closeouts and consistently made the right read, helping Dallas close the third quarter with an 89–88 lead.
“He does play well here,” Kidd said. “I thought he was great. He got great looks, made plays for his teammates, and he was big for us offensively. He got us going in that second quarter.”
Fourth Quarter Separation Teased, Then Erased
Dallas briefly appeared to seize control early in the fourth. The Mavericks scored on four straight possessions, capped by Christie’s 3-pointer, to take a 107–100 lead with 4:39 remaining.
Moments later came a pivotal sequence. With 3:53 left, Flagg knocked down a difficult corner 3-pointer that would have pushed Dallas ahead 110–105. After review, the shot was waved off due to a violation.
“It was a violation,” Kidd said. “They took the three away. We were still up two, and we just couldn’t get a basket. They did. But the group competed. They found a way to take a lead.”
“I didn’t really see it,” Flagg said. “I probably didn’t get it off. I’ll have to watch the replay. I was just trying to make something happen with 0.5 on the clock.”
Instead of separation, Dallas came away empty, and Utah quickly turned the momentum back in its favor.
Anthony Davis Injury Alters the Final Minutes
The margin narrowed further moments later when Davis grabbed his left hand in visible pain after contact while defending a drive by Markkanen. Davis initially stayed on the floor, signaling he was OK, but Utah scored on the ensuing possession before Dallas could stop play. Davis then made his way down the tunnel and did not return.
“He hurt his left hand,” Kidd said. “That’s all we had at that point.”
Kidd pointed directly to the immediate sequence as a turning point.
“Smart players take a foul,” Kidd said. “That’s what we should have done. He felt fine. We come back down, we don’t take the foul, they get a layup, and then we have to take a timeout. That’s the play. We’ll learn from it. We can take a foul, side out, and sub. My players are my guys. They said he was fine, and I thought he was fine.”
Davis finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists in 35 minutes, leaving Dallas without its primary late-game option in the high post.
“It takes a collective effort to come together and finish the game,” Flagg said. “I thought we went cold down the stretch. We can do a better job executing offensively. We also have to get stops. They hit some tough shots, but we have to make a stand.”
Utah Jazz Closes as Dallas Mavericks’ Margin Vanishes
Utah capitalized fully. Markkanen scored three straight baskets during a decisive 12–0 run that flipped the game to a 112–107 Jazz lead with 1:41 remaining. The Jazz scored on seven of their final nine possessions and finished with a 64–46 advantage in points in the paint.
Dallas still had chances. Klay Thompson drilled a deep 3-pointer with 47.2 seconds left to cut the deficit to three. Marshall later hit a contested 30-footer with 0.8 seconds remaining to make it a two-point game.
But the defining mistake had already occurred. With 56.9 seconds left, Marshall’s inbound pass toward Flagg was intercepted by Brice Sensabaugh, who converted the takeaway into a layup that restored Utah’s cushion.
“Twenty to nine turnovers is tough to overcome,” Flagg said. “A lot of them are self-inflicted. Careless, not really forced. We just have to keep working on cleaning that up and being smarter.”
The loss underscored ongoing growing pains late.
“That’s a go-to guy late in games,” Thompson said of Davis. “High post, favorite spots, rise up over anyone. That was tough. We probably need to get more organized late. We’re a young team, so there will be growing pains.”
Klay Thompson’s Milestone Night, Familiar Lessons
Thompson finished with 23 points on six made 3-pointers in his 900th career game, providing a spark off the bench while also reflecting on the milestone.
“It’s awesome. A dream come true,” Thompson said. “My next goal is 1,000. I’m grateful to still be playing, playing at a high level, and having fun.”
He credited longevity to a simple source.
“My love for the game,” Thompson said. “Basketball has been central to my life since I was a child. The day I hang it up will be tough, but I still have plenty left in the tank.”
On the court, Thompson felt encouraged by the quality of his looks.
“I got good looks early,” he said. “The ball was fighting me, but I was shooting in rhythm. I want to carry that flow the rest of the season. I’m excited to go to Chicago. I’ve got good memories there.”
As for the turnovers, Kidd and Thompson echoed the same theme.
“Maybe hold onto the ball a second longer,” Kidd said. “To start the fourth, we had two careless turnovers. No pressure. We get a rebound, then turn it over before half court. Those are things young players have to learn.”
“Simple things,” Thompson added. “Get to two feet. Pivot. Make confident passes. I had three turnovers myself — that’s uncharacteristic. We’re right there. I’m excited to go to Chicago and right the ship.”
Utah snapped a five-game losing streak behind Markkanen’s 33 points. Dallas left Salt Lake City with another narrow loss — and another reminder that in close games, execution continues to define the outcome.
The Mavericks will close the three-game road trip Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls, searching for traction away from home and a cleaner ending to a stretch that once again slipped on the smallest margins.
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