3 overreactions as depleted Mavericks decimate Utah Jazz

The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Utah Jazz on Thursday night for the second night of a back-to-back for both teams. Both teams were coming off losses, and with only a half-game separating them in the standings, someone was going have to tank control of the tank battle.

Both teams were without key players, as the Mavericks were missing Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford, while the Jazz were without Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler.

And if you thought the Mavericks could out-tank the Jazz, boy, would you be wrong.

The Mavericks ran away with this game at the end of the first quarter and into the second quarter. When Dwight Powell is Euro-stepping in transition to finish a layup, and Klay Thompson turns back the clock while passing Damian Lillard for the fourth-most made threes in NBA history, things could get weird.

And things continued to get weird in the third quarter. The Mavericks outscored Utah 42-29, but those Jazz points came padded on near the end. Dallas ended up leading by 38 in the frame. Mind you, the Mavericks rolled out a starting lineup of Brandon Williams, Jaden Hardy, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall, and Dwight Powell. And they still absolutely smoked the Jazz.

By the end, the Mavericks had themselves a _ win, but these two will be right back at it on Saturday in Dallas. Will the Mavericks tie the season series? Or can they give themselves an additional possible tiebreaker in the draft lottery odds?

Here are three overreactions from this win.

1. Jason Kidd's Disdain for D'Angelo Russell is Actually Hilarious

Nov 29, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard D'Angelo Russell (5) warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Due to the injuries the Mavericks entered the game with, here is everyone they had available for this game: Brandon Williams, Jaden Hardy, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall, Dwight Powell, Klay Thompson, D'Angelo Russell, Ryan Nembhard (two-way contract), Moussa Cisse (two-way contract), Miles Kelly (two-way contract), and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (was literally just signed today on a 10-day hardship contract). D'Angelo Russell is the only one of that group who didn't play. You have to think that he's going to be on the first trade out of town is there's an offer available.

2. Klay Thompson Vintage Games are Still Elite

Jan 15, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) reacts after hitting a three point basket to move to fourth on the all time NBA three point baskets made list during the first half against the Utah Jazz at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Klay Thompson is out of his prime at this point in his career, but he's still more than capable of big games. And he had it ROLLING in this game. It was one thing to see him pass Damian Lillard on the three-point leaderboard, but it's good to see him have fun again. He ended up finishing with 25 points on 10/18 shooting, including 6/13 from three. He even had 6 assists. It's great to see him have these kinds of performances.

3. Caleb Martin Has Put Up Back-to-Back Good Games. He's Tradeable!

Jan 15, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Caleb Martin (16) grabs the rebound in front of guard Brandon Williams (10) against the Utah Jazz during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Caleb Martin easily had his best game as a Maverick on Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets, and then followed it up with 14 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in this game. He's still not a good contract, but he's at least showing that he can be a rotation player.

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