The Dallas Mavericks got through the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2011. In Game 6 with the Utah Jazz, nothing works in the first half, but then Luka Doncic and Co. screw up. up for the heat and wins a thriller by 98:96 at the Salt Lake.
Utah Jazz (5) vs. Dallas Mavericks (4) 96:98 (BOXSCORE), Series: 2-4
The Texans have broken their playoff curse, and Doncic has won a playoff series for the first time in his career. “It’s great. I’m really glad we made it through the first round. The last two years have been tough, but we’ve learned something from last year. It was a bad fight. Utah hit their ass and are a strong team I’m glad we’re through one round. “
In the end, it was a real nail-biter who was possibly settled by a serious mistake in the final seconds. Gobert brought the hosts to a point with a layup about 36 seconds before the end (97:96), in return a float by Doncic jumped off the Frenchman’s outstretched arm and only jumped out of the ring. With eleven seconds left, Quin Snyder decided against a timeout and let the game go.
Jazz, however, did not even reach the throw, after a step error by Mike Conley, Mavs regained the ball. Jalen Brunson missed a free kick, giving Utah another chance to win. For the remaining four seconds, Utah first managed to give Bojan Bogdanovic a lot of space with several screens, which then let Spencer Dinwiddie fly past with a shot fake – but the Croatian’s three points bounced out of the ring.
Doncic and his backcourt partner Brunson were the top scorers for the Mavs with 24 points each, the Slovenian also contributed with 9 rebounds and 8 assists and got a triple-double. Spencer Dinwiddie delivered a strong fight from the bench (19 points) and Dorian Finney-Smith (18) was also convincing. Maxi Kleber had 7 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in 23 minutes. The hosts also scored on several shoulders, Donovan Mitchell being the most successful pitcher (23 points), followed by Bogdanovic (19) and Jordan Clarkson (15).
The first 12 minutes were a regular defensive match, with both teams being under 40 percent off the field. The Mavericks started cold as ice from the center (0/10 3FG), the only bright spot in the attack was Brunson (9 points, 4/6 FG). Mitchell found his rhythm early with the hosts (9, 4/7 FG), but in the end both teams played almost nothing together offensively – 21:15 jazz.
The Mavericks move up after the break
Mavs equalized early in the second quarter (22:22) as the orange leather finally found its way through the net more regularly (10/21 FG). But the hosts also let the ball run (11 assists), came up with more open looks and went a better one (13/20 FG). Utah ran 18-5 before halftime tea, advantages in bench-scoring (17-10) and rebounds (26-17) resulted in the Jazz leading by 12 points at the break.
The third quarter belonged exclusively to the Mavericks. After strong ball movement, Dinwiddie scored a three and ended an 8-0 run by the Mavs. The subsequent timeout by jazz coach Quin Snyder had no effect, the guests continued to score at will and took the lead after another Dinwiddie triple (72:70), the Texans’ long-range shooting looked like a flamethrower in this phase (8/12 3FG). Doncic played a full 12 minutes and fueled the Mavericks’ run with 10 points and a block against Gobert, from Utah’s point of view it went into the final section with -5 (72:77).
In the final phase, both teams exchanged open shots, with Dallas often patiently playing the ball along the perimeter until an open three-pointer popped out. Kleber, Dinwiddie and also Finney-Smith lowered important shots, but the Jazz kept hitting back. Bogdanovic equalized with a triple about two and a half minutes before the last buzzer (94:94), Brunson provided the answer on the other side – also from the center (97:94).
In the final phase, both teams exchanged open shots, with Dallas often patiently playing the ball along the perimeter until an open three-pointer popped out. Kleber, Dinwiddie and also Finney-Smith lowered important shots, but the Jazz kept hitting back. Bogdanovic equalized with a triple about two and a half minutes before the last buzzer (94:94), Brunson gave the answer on the other side – also from the center (97:94). Gobert reduced it to -1 with a layup and delivered one in the defensive strong shooting competition against Doncic. Instead of taking a time-out, the Jazz dropped the ball through Conley. In the end, it was the decisive scene of the game, though the scene would probably have been forgotten if Bogdanovic had welded the three through the trap.
The Mavericks now face the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the playoffs. They finished the regular season with the best record in the league, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 4-2 in their first round. Devin Booker returned there in the last game after suffering a hamstring injury and is also expected to be available against Mavs. Match 1 takes place on Tuesday night at 4 German time.
NBA Playoffs – Mavericks vs. Jazz: The Series at a Glance (4-2)
| Game | date | time | home | gone | result |
| 1 | April 16 | at 19 | Dallas Mavericks | Utah Jazz | 93:99 |
| 2 | April 19th | 02.30 | Dallas Mavericks | Utah Jazz | 110: 104 |
| 3 | April 22 | 3 o’clock | Utah Jazz | Dallas Mavericks | 118: 126 |
| 4 | 23rd April | 22:30 | Utah Jazz | Dallas Mavericks | 100: 99 |
| 5 | April 26 | 3.30 | Dallas Mavericks | Utah Jazz | 102: 77 |
| 6 | April 29 | 4 o’clock | Utah Jazz | Dallas Mavericks | 96:98 |