The Dallas Mavericks improved to 2-1 in preseason play. They beat the Utah Jazz 114-101 on Monday night at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
Anthony Davis paced Dallas with 25 points. He added six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 25 minutes.
The Jazz stayed close at 30-27 after one. Keyonte George dished assists to Jusuf Nurkic for a three-pointer that tied the score at 8-8 midway through.
Dallas pulled ahead in the second quarter. Naji Marshall added 14 points off the bench for 17 total, highlighted by a three-pointer and free throws that pushed the lead to 61-50 at halftime.
Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick, contributed 11 points overall. He hit a three in the second and a dunk in the third, though he shot 3-for-13 from the field.
Utah’s defense struggled in the third. The Mavericks outscored the Jazz 26-19 in the period, with Davis adding seven more points to reach 23.
Jusuf Nurkic led Utah with 13 points and 15 rebounds. He grabbed key boards but committed two turnovers late in the frame.
Brice Sensabaugh emerged as a bright spot for the Jazz. The second-year guard tallied 16 points, including a step-back three and a driving floater in the fourth.
Dallas extended the margin in the final quarter. Jaden Hardy scored 13 points, mostly from deep, while Miles Kelly added 14 off the bench with four threes.
Taylor Hendricks finished with 14 points for Utah. He dunked twice in the fourth but fouled out after three personal fouls.
Lauri Markkanen scored 10 points in 18 minutes before sitting. Keyonte George added nine points and seven assists but turned the ball over four times.
The Mavericks shot 39.4% from the field and 28.3% from three. They forced 13 Utah turnovers while committing 15 themselves.
Utah grabbed 48 rebounds to Dallas’s 59. The Jazz shot 40.2% overall but managed just 29.7% from beyond the arc.
Several Jazz players sat out. Georges Niang missed due to not being with the team, while Kyle Anderson, Mo Bamba, Walker Kessler, Max Abmas, and Isaiah Collier were out for various reasons including injuries and coach’s decisions.
Klay Thompson played 13 minutes and scored five points. He went 1-for-5 from the field with three turnovers.
P.J. Washington added six points and six rebounds for Dallas. Dereck Lively II logged seven minutes with two points and six boards before Dwight Powell took over.
