Mavs-Jazz Game 4 Donuts: Dallas Falls After Gobert Game-Winner, 100-99
With their backs against the wall, the Utah Jazz managed to pull off a 100-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of this first-round NBA playoff series.
The outcome of the game wasn't certain until the final few possessions played out. The Mavericks faced multiple opportunities to take a lead within the final 20 seconds of regulation but were unable to get it done.
DONUT 1: DONCIC RETURNS TO LINEUP - After missing the initial three games of the series due to a left calf strain, Doncic made his return. There was talk about a potential minutes restriction before the game, but he ended up logging 34 minutes of action.
Doncic had an effective performance with 30 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He shot 11-21 (52.4 percent) from the floor, 4-10 (40.0 percent) on 3s, and converted on all four of his free throw attempts.
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
DONUT 2: FIRST HALF STRUGGLES - The Mavericks struggled to produce offensively in the first half of Game 4 — finishing with 42 total points. Dallas shot 13-41 (31.7 percent) from the floor and 5-24 (20.8 percent) on 3s.
Doncic had a solid 14 points on 6-11 (54.5 percent) overall and 2-4 (50.0 percent) on 3s. The rest of the unit experienced significant struggles.
When looking at all Mavericks players not-named-Doncic, they scored only 28 points and shot a poor 7-30 (23.3 percent) from the floor, and went just 3-20 (15.0 percent) from beyond the arc. Dallas faced a 54-42 halftime deficit.
DONUT 3: MASSIVE THIRD QUARTER - After a rough first half, the Mavericks responded with a staggering 39-point third quarter. They missed just four of their 18 shot attempts and went 8-10 (80.0 percent) from the perimeter.
The Mavericks cut the deficit to just 81-78 after Dinwiddie converted on a step-back mid-range jumper with 14.5 seconds left to play in the third quarter.
DONUT 4: MAVS GO HACK-A-RUDY - With the Mavericks being at a size disadvantage, they looked to frequently foul Rudy Gobert down the stretch to send him to the free-throw line. He went just 3-8 (37.5 percent) on free throws in the fourth quarter and was 9-18 (50.0 percent) overall.
The Mavericks' bench had a lot of fun with Gobert's free-throw shooting woes, especially after he air-balled one of his attempts. Of course, free-throw shooting woes of their own ended up being costly.
DONUT 6: MITCHELL-GOBERT GAME-WINNER - After all of the talk about the lack of chemistry between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert throughout the series, the two connected for what became the game-winning field goal in Game 4. Mitchell lobbed it to a wide-open Gobert for a dunk.
DONUT 7: "F**K THE TALK" - In the post-game on-court interview, Gobert was asked about the national conversation surrounding what the Jazz "can't do" as a team. He responded, "f**k the talk."
DONUT 8: POWELL MISSES KEY FREE THROWS - Before Mitchell connected with Gobert for the game-winning alley-oop, Powell had a chance to give the Mavericks a one-point lead with 19.8 seconds left to play if he made two free throws. He came up empty on both attempts.
DONUT 9: DINWIDDIE MISSES GAME-WINNER - Another late-game error by the Mavericks was the poor execution they had on the final possession of the game. Brunson gave it to Doncic late just to get double-teamed aggressively by the Jazz defense — forcing him to waste time and give it up.
The ball ended up finding Dinwiddie on the wing with regulation winding down. Despite hitting multiple game-winning 3s since being traded to the Mavericks, he was unable to convert on another.
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
DONUT 10: CLARKSON GOES OFF - The leading scorer for the Jazz in Game 4 wasn't Donovan Mitchell or Bojan Bogdanovic. Instead, Jordan Clarkson led with 25 points off the bench and consistently posed problems for the defense.
The Mavericks must tighten up on how they are guarding Clarkson in Game 5. While he converted on some tough shots, he got into the gaps of the defense too often.
DONUT 11: TOO MUCH GREEN? - The Mavericks benefited from trusting Josh Green in Game 3 when he went 3-5 (60.0 percent) on 3s. However, he regressed to shooting just 1-4 (25.0 percent) in Game 4 and was consistently detrimental to the Mavericks' floor spacing.
In the 16 minutes that Green was on the floor, the Mavericks were outscored by nine points. There's a valid debate about whether Dallas should prioritize spacing with Doncic being back in the lineup.
DONUT 12: GAME 5 ON MONDAY - The series heads back to Dallas for Game 5 on Monday with the Mavericks and Jazz engaged in a 2-2 tie. Doncic now having a game under his belt should help with having a better rhythm from the opening tip and perhaps enable him to spend more time on the floor in Game 5.
