Luka Doncic led the charge for the Dallas Mavericks (41-29), flirting with a triple-double in a convincing 113-97 victory over the Utah Jazz (29-41) on Thursday night.
Doncic finished the game with 34 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, guiding the Mavericks to their third consecutive win and solidifying their position in the Western Conference playoff race.
The win propels Dallas into the sixth seed in the West, edging ahead of the Phoenix Suns in the standings.
Daniel Gafford also made significant contributions for the Mavericks, notching a season-high 24 points on an efficient 10-of-11 shooting performance. Kyrie Irving struggled with his shot, going 7-of-19 from the field to finish with 16 points.
Despite missing key players, including Jordan Clarkson for the Jazz and Josh Green for the Mavericks, both teams delivered competitive performances.
Utah’s Lauri Markkanen returned from injury to lead the Jazz with 21 points, while Collin Sexton provided a scoring punch off the bench with 20 points. Keyonte George added 18 points.
