The Dallas Mavericks lost their fourth game in a row after their 113-115 loss to the Utah Jazz tonight in the Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City. Not only is this their fourth loss in a row, it’s their fourth one-possession loss in a row with the Mavericks completely unable to pull out clutch wins so far this season.
Luka Doncic made a critical defensive error with the game tied 113-113 which left John Collins wide open for an easy dunk to give Utah the lead and the win.
Luka is… pic.twitter.com/KQND1MDaTe
— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) November 15, 2024
The Mavericks came into this loss shorthanded with Kyrie Irving and PJ Washington absent. Washington has missed the last four Mavericks losses with a knee injury while Kyrie was ruled out before the game for a shoulder injury.
The presence of either player could’ve been the difference for Dallas tonight, who likely wouldn’t have to come back from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit anyway.
The Jazz were led by John Collins in this win, putting up 28 points (10-20 FG) and nine rebounds while Jordan Clarkson contributed 20 points (7-16 FG). Rookie Kyle Filipowski played a massive role, scoring 14 points (6-8 FG) in Walker Kessler’s absence.
The Mavericks saw Naji Marshall put up 19 points (9-14 FG) and three steals, though the forward missed the final shot of the game. Klay Thompson scored 17 points (6-17 FG) while Quentin Grimes had 15 points (5-9 FG) in his first-ever start for the Mavericks.
Luka Doncic Explains His Defensive Mistake
Luka had a great offensive night with 37 points (13-25 FG), seven rebounds, and nine assists, but this defensive mistake will weigh heavily on everyone’s minds given the increasing (and justified) criticism against Doncic’s defense. His offense is arguably the best in the NBA after Nikola Jokic, but his defense has been atrocious to start the season.
Doncic has admitted his mistake on that possession, taking accountability for the major defensive lapse that caused the Mavericks to fall to 5-7 on the season.
“It was a misunderstanding. I thought I was going to go hit, and Grimes thought he was going to go hit. And it was a lob, so we misunderstood the bench. That’s on me.”
Luka was also asked about the reason behind the Mavs losing four final possession games in a row. The Slovenian guard was clearly frustrated with the situation they are currently in.
“If I would know, we wouldn’t be, right? So I wouldn’t know.”
It might be the lower body injuries that he’s been playing through for most of the year, but at this point, it’s hard to constantly cite that factor as the reason behind Luka’s defensive lapses. Even if the last possession came down to a miscommunication, Luka showed poor defensive instincts and it cost them badly.
It could’ve been a statement win for the Mavericks with a 16-point fourth-quarter comeback while shorthanded but instead, it’s another disappointing loss. They will be desperate to break out of their current funk with a win against the San Antonio Spurs in their next game.
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