Mavs Season-Series Review: Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets
With home-court advantage clinched in the first round, the Dallas Mavericks will face either the Utah Jazz or Denver Nuggets when the playoffs begin next weekend. Both of these teams are currently tied in the standings as a number of different playoff picture scenarios could unfold.
Not only Mavs will also find out who their opponent will be, but they’ll also find out if it will be with them as the third or fourth seed tonight.
Regardless of their position, the Mavs are guaranteed to draw either the Jazz or Nuggets. Here is a review of both season series against of these potential first-round opponents for the Mavs.
The Mavs tied with the Jazz this season at 2-2, with the home team winning every meeting.
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Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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Utah won on Christmas Day 120-116 as Dallas was decimated by COVID-19. Dallas lost again on February 114-109, in a game that saw some controversial no-calls on Rudy Gobert down the stretch. The Mavs have lost 11-consecutive games in the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Mavs also beat the Jazz twice at the American Airlines Center, though. In March, Luka Doncic led Dallas with 35 points to a 111-103 win. Later that month, the Mavs got past a Gobert-less Jazz, 114-100, to tie the series. Doncic led the team in points, rebounds and assists in these wins.
Both games that Utah won were at times where Dallas was not at full strength. As mentioned, the Mavs had Doncic and three other players in health and safety protocols on Christmas Day.
The next game that the Mavericks lost to the Jazz was only 15 days after the NBA Trade Deadline as they traded center Kristaps Porzingis for combo-guard Spencer Dinwiddie and stretch-big Davis Bertans. It was only the third game that the new-look Mavs had played together.
The Mavericks should feel confident about themselves, as chemistry and momentum has been built in a big way heading into the playoffs.
As for the other potential first-round opponent, Dallas won the season series 2-1 over Denver. In October, the Nuggets crushed the Mavericks 106-75. Reigning-MVP Nikola Jokic had 11 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists in the early-season victory.
The next two meetings were much different, however, as Dallas won both games by double-digit margins.
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In November, then-Maverick Porzingis had a double-double with 29 points and 11 rebounds in the 111-101 win. The Mavericks then took the season series in early January as Doncic tallied 29 points and 15 assists in a 103-89 victory.
Interestingly, Jokic averaged 31 points and 16 rebounds in both losses against the Mavs. The Denver star did this on 22 shots from the field. In their lone win, Jokic only shot the rock nine times. This will an interesting stat to watch in a potential playoff series as Dallas would try to contain the Denver center.
In both Maverick wins, the Nuggets were also without their swingman Michael Porter Jr. due to a back injury. Denver has also missed point-guard Jamal Murray all season as he suffered an ACL injury last April.
It's unlikely, but there could be a possibility that one of Porter Jr. or Murray could suit up for a playoff series.
Ultimately, the Nuggets have Jokic, and the Mavs have Doncic. From an advantage standpoint, those two would seem to cancel each other out, so the outcome of that series would likely come down to the supporting casts — in which case Dallas would have the advantage.
Tonight, the Mavericks will find out once and for all which of these two teams they are playing. Stay tuned to DallasBasketball.com for all updates.
