Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd acknowledged Utah’s strong start in overtime as a decisive factor in Monday’s 140-133 defeat. “They made baskets. We had some good looks that just didn’t go down… they got off to a better start,” Kidd said.
Kidd praised rookie Cooper Flagg despite the loss, highlighting his historic performance. “Cooper, I think, is the first NBA player at 18 to have 45 and five… the more time he sees, the better he gets,” Kidd noted.
Addressing the fourth-quarter lapse, Kidd admitted Dallas became passive while trying to protect the lead. “We just stalled out… when you’re trying to hold on to the lead, you tend to be a little passive,” he explained.
The Mavericks coach also lauded P.J. Washington’s all-around game. “Offensively he was aggressive, rebounded the ball… defensively he was guarding everyone,” Kidd said.
On late-game execution, Kidd emphasized learning from the sequence rather than one standout play. “That fourth quarter will be something that we’ll watch and get better from,” he said.
Utah relied on Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen to secure the win, combining for 70 points. George scored 37 points, including Utah’s first five in overtime, while Markkanen contributed 33 points, 16 rebounds, and four steals.
Kyle Filipowski played a pivotal role late, scoring 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to stabilize the Jazz when Dallas briefly took control.
Flagg’s 42 points marked a career-high and tied Mark Aguirre for most points by a rookie in Mavericks history. P.J. Washington added 25 points and 13 rebounds for Dallas, who led 124-116 late in regulation before Utah’s 11-0 run tied the game.
Both teams played shorthanded, with Utah resting Jusuf Nurkic and veterans Kevin Love and Svi Mykhailiuk, while Dallas was without Anthony Davis. Utah shot 52 percent from the field and outscored Dallas 11-4 in overtime.
The Jazz improved to 10-15, recording consecutive wins for only the second time this season. The Mavericks fell to 10-17 after a strong five-of-six stretch entering the game.
Utah will host the Lakers on Thursday, while Dallas returns home to face the Pistons, both teams looking to regroup after a hard-fought contest.
