Fight for 4th: Mavs ‘Keep Shooting’ vs. Jazz GAMEDAY
DALLAS - The Dallas Mavericks will attempt to bounce back at home on Sunday against the Utah Jazz in a game with major NBA playoff implications. Both Dallas and Utah are 45-29, so the winner of Sunday's matchup will have sole possession of the fourth-seed in the Western Conference standings.
The fourth-seed earns home court advantage in the first round for the upcoming NBA playoffs, something the Mavs haven't had since the 2011 championship season.
Can the Mavs keep up their dominance at home? Dallas is 17-4 over the last 21 home games. The Jazz are on a three-game losing streak; Utah lost in Brooklyn last Monday, was defeated in Boston this past Wednesday and lost in Charlotte on Friday.
MEANINGFUL MILESTONE: Dallas has a real shot at finishing with more than 50 wins this season. Of the Mavs’ final nine games, four will be against NBA Lottery-bound teams with zero motivation: Washington, Portland, Detroit and San Antonio. Those potential wins get Dallas to 49, meaning it would only have to win two of its other six to get to 51.
© Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
© Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
FLASHBACK: Utah leads the season series after taking both meetings at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. The home team has taken the last five meetings between the Mavericks and the Jazz
INJURY REPORT, DALLAS: Dāvis Bertāns (right knee soreness) is probable; Sterling Brown (health and safety protocols) is out; Trey Burke (illness, non-Covid) is questionable; Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) is out; Theo Pinson (right fifth finger fracture) is out.
RECORDS: DALLAS MAVERICKS (45-29) VS. UTAH JAZZ (45-29)
WHEN: Sunday, March 27, 2022 • 6:30 p.m. CT
LOCATION: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
TV/RADIO: BSSW, 97.1 The Eagle (KEGL)
Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
ODDS: The Mavs are 1.5-point underdogs to the Jazz.
NEXT: The Mavs host Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. Then, Dallas heads east for a four-game road trip which starts Wednesday in Cleveland and continues with games Friday in Washington, April 3 in Milwaukee and April 6 in Detroit.
LAST WORD: Jason Kidd on Kleber’s struggles: "What I love about Maxi [Kleber] and what he's doing, is he's shooting the ball still. Most people just turn it down and not even look. He's shooting it and they do look good — I swear they're going in.
“He has to [keep taking the shots]. He's taking them and they're going to fall for him. When they do, it's just going to make the offense that much easier."
