3 overreactions as Mavericks dominate Utah Jazz behind vintage Klay Thompson game

The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Utah Jazz for the second time in three days on Saturday evening, which was the fourth and final game of the season between the two, barring some kind of postseason miracle run for both teams (not happening).

Dallas beat the brakes off Utah on Thursday, as they were up by 38 in the third quarter despite not having Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, or Kyrie Irving. Any time a lineup of Brandon Williams, Jaden Hardy, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall, and Dwight Powell is cooking people like they were, things need to be addressed for the opposition in the next game.

Max Christie returned to the starting lineup after missing two games with illness, and Utah didn't do a much better job competing. The Mavericks led by 14 seven minutes into the game as Naji Marshall got the party started with a few early baskets, and then Klay Thompson picked up the torch and RAN with it. He had arguably his best half as a Maverick, putting up 23 points on 6/9 three-point shooting.

The lead briefly got below 10 in the second quarter, but Thompson's strong play kept the Mavericks at arm's length away from the Jazz, and they'd go into halftime up 71-59.

And then the game got out of hand in the third quarter once again, as the Mavericks outscored the Jazz 27-14 in the first eight minutes, as Naji Marshall took control of the game. He hit one of his signature pop shots to put the Mavs up by 25. And while anything can happen in the NBA, the Jazz had zero interest in winning this game. However, that didn't stop them from cutting the lead to 12 before the end of the third quarter.

Utah would get it down to 9 on a putback from Ace Bailey, but the Mavericks would respond after that, going on a quick 11-2 run to go back up by 18, which was closed off by a Caleb Martin basket at the rim. From there, the Mavericks would go on to win 138-120.

Brandon Williams, Klay Thompson, Max Christie, and Naji Marshall all had respectable performances, giving the Mavs an all-around effort.

Here are three overreactions from this win.

1. Vintage Klay Thompson Games Before the Trade Deadline>>>

Jan 17, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) runs back up the court during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Klay Thompson can still help a contender, and it's a shame that he's wasting away on a below-average Mavericks team. His first half in this game is exactly what a contending team could talk themselves into, as his 23 points on 6/9 shooting were a vintage performance. Thompson has been the ultimate professional, has done and said all the right things. He deserves to be on a good team.

2. Mavericks Will Have Big Brandon Williams Decision After the Season

Jan 6, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams (10) reacts after being called for a foul against the Sacramento Kings in the fourth quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

One of the lesser talked about screw-ups from Nico Harrison was his mishandling of Brandon Williams' contract last year. He handed Williams a rest-of-season contract that only took him through the end of the 2025-26 season, so he's going to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. And he's been incredible lately. After putting up 18 points on the Jazz on Thursday and 20 points and 7 rebounds against the Nuggets on Wednesday, he had 22 points in this game.

3. The Mavericks' Offense Has Been Better Without Cooper Flagg... Or Maybe the Jazz are Just Bad

Jan 15, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on from the bench in street clothes as he is sidelined with an injury during the first half against the Utah Jazz at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks had their highest scoring game of the season on Thursday night against the Jazz, putting up 144 points. They followed that up on Saturday by putting up 138.

Cooper Flagg has missed both of these games with an ankle sprain, so some may look into it as the team being better without him, but the Jazz have no interest in winning games right now. To allow this many points to a team without Flagg, Anthony Davis, AND Kyrie Irving should be embarrassing for the Jazz, but they probably don't care.

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3 overreactions as Cooper Flagg's brilliance leads Mavericks to win over Nuggets