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Players on Blue Carpet: Mavs Ball Behind-the-Scenes

Mavericks vs. Jazz Instant Reaction: Luka, Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith Come Up Big

Mavs get it done on both ends of court in impressive win over Utah

In a pivotal matchup in the Western Conference standings, the Dallas Mavericks (40-25) defeated the Utah Jazz (40-24) 111-103 Monday night at American Airlines Center.

Here are some instant reactions to the Mavericks' win:

Another Strong Dinwiddie Performance

With Jalen Brunson sidelined, it was important for the Mavericks to receive a strong outing from Spencer Dinwiddie. He delivered with 23 points and shot 5-9 (55.6 percent) from beyond the arc. 

Dinwiddie is averaging 18.3 points and 4.8 assists overall with the Mavericks. But in the last six games, he's averaged 22.3 points and 5.3 assists.

Mitchell Was Contained 

Donovan Mitchell averaged 33 points in the two wins over the Mavs earlier this season. The Jazz star was limited to 17 points on 5-19 shooting (26.3 percent), including 2-9 (22.2 percent) from 3-point range.

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Luka Doncic celebrates a bucket plus the foul.

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Dorian Finney-Smith throws down a big put-back dunk.

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The Mavs beat the Jazz for the first time this season.

Kleber's Processing is Too Slow Against Utah

Against the Jazz, it's crucial to pull the trigger quickly on a catch-and-shoot jumpers or attack the rim with a purpose. Maxi Kleber seemed uncomfortable doing either, and finished 3-11 from the floor (27.3 percent) and 2-7 (28.6 percent) on 3s.

Finney-Smith's Overall Impact Was Significant

Whether he was disrupting Mitchell on defense, knocking down jumpers, attacking or coming up with timely offensive rebounds, Dorian Finney-Smith did a little bit of everything. 

The box score certainly showed Finney-Smith's contributions with an efficient 21 points, five rebounds and two assists. It was just the second time this season he reached the 20-point threshold. 

Mavericks Got More Creative On Offense

Instead of having Luka Doncic come off a more traditional ball screen against Rudy Gobert, the Mavericks shook things up a bit. 

In addition to dribble hand-offs, there was far more usage of multiple screeners in ball-screen actions, whether it was Spain pick-and-rolls or double-drag screens. Forcing multiple defenders to make reads and decisions as opposed to letting Gobert use his length to impact lobs to an undersized center made things easier.

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Mavs vs. Jazz

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Luka Doncic gets fouled in traffic.

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Luka Doncic and Royce O’Neale had a heated exchange at halftime.

Doncic Did Damage With His Jumper

Only 11.4 percent of Doncic's 35 points came in the paint, while 28.6 percent came from mid-range attempts. The jumpers from beyond the arc were key for him as he had 47.8 percent of his scoring on 3-pointers.

While Doncic did not necessarily live in the paint, he did drop quite a few dimes where he got Gobert to step up to engage him — setting up a passing opportunity for a teammate to finish at the rim.

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