The Dallas Mavericks haven’t made it out of the first round of the playoffs since they made their run to a championship in 2011. It has been over a decade of heartbreak for Mavs fans, as they’ve been eliminated two years in a row by the LA Clippers in the first round. The script looked to be the same when Luka Doncic got hurt in the final game of the season as the Mavs went to face the Utah Jazz.
Despite dropping Game 1 to Utah, the Mavericks have controlled the series and just clinched a Game 3 win over the Jazz. Doncic is expected to return in time for Game 4, giving the team a massive advantage ahead of the next game at the Vivint Arena. This win also allowed the Mavs to retake the home-court advantage.
The Mavs were led by a 31-point performance from Jalen Brunson, as the Utah defense gave up 126 points in a playoff game. Fans are pouring in with their thoughts on Twitter, whether it is to support the Mavs role-players that are punching above their weight or to attack the Jazz for yet another season as playoff disappointments.
Spencer and Jalen dominated that game from the jump to the end. Big time Dub!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 22, 2022
Mavs are just playing excellent defense to close this right now. Man.
— Dalton Trigg (@dalton_trigg) April 22, 2022
Mavs baby!!!! @dallasmavs
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) April 22, 2022
JALEN IS BABYING THESE BOYS 🔥🔥🔥
— Jo (@MavsStan41) April 22, 2022
https://twitter.com/bobbykaralla/status/1517347069383651328
Jazz perimeter defenders couldnt guard their own shadow.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 22, 2022
DAGGER DINWIDDIE 🔥🔥🔥🔥#MFFL
— MFFL (@Mavs_FFL) April 22, 2022
WINWIDDIE
— jas the terrible 🪼 (@terriblyjas) April 22, 2022
Jalen Brunson is HE
— Bibs (@BibsCorner) April 22, 2022
That. Dude. Brunson.
— Kirk Henderson (@KirkSeriousFace) April 22, 2022
No troll half the TL could get a bucket on Mitchell
— kyle (@knicks_tape99) April 22, 2022
https://twitter.com/big_business_/status/1516248877409701893
Jalen Brunson thoroughly outplaying Donovan Mitchell was not something I expected or thought possible in this series.
— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) April 22, 2022
The Utah Jazz crowd are booing the Jazz right now inside the Vivint Arena.
Donovan Mitchell smiled sarcastically and nodded walking to the locker room. 👀
— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) April 22, 2022
I don’t know if Donovan Mitchell isn’t worse than Trae Young defensively. He don’t even get in the way
— Uncle Block (@517to214) April 22, 2022
Struggling with a Luka-lesss Mavs team means it’s just time to blow it up. No way they’re ready to compete for a championship
— Darrick Miller (@Dmills___) April 22, 2022
The Jazz folded and finally went small.. a Luka-less Mavs really played Rudy off the court… and STILL WON #MFFL
— Jo (@MavsStan41) April 22, 2022
The Mavericks struggled offensively through the first two games of the series, but this game proved they have finally figured out an offensive rhythm against Utah. There have been dull portions when Spencer Dinwiddie or Jalen Brunson just need to create something out of nowhere, for which, the Mavs will be excited to have a top-three creator in the league return to the lineup when Doncic comes back.
The Jazz have a lot of problems to address. The team is looking flat and hasn’t been playing as hard as we have seen them play before. The chemistry is discordant and everyone is playing dis-attached basketball. A possible first-round exit could force this team to make the changes it needs to.
