The Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks enter Saturday’s matchup at the American Airlines Center with multiple key players sidelined.
Utah will be without Walker Kessler (left shoulder), Lauri Markkanen (illness), and Georges Niang (left foot), while Elijah Harkless, John Tonje, and Oscar Tshiebwe remain out on two-way assignments.
Dallas also faces significant absences, with Anthony Davis (left finger), Dante Exum (right knee), Kyrie Irving (left knee), and Dereck Lively II (right foot) all ruled out. Cooper Flagg (left ankle) and Daniel Gafford (right ankle) are listed as doubtful, while Moussa Cisse and Miles Kelly are questionable. Max Christie and P.J. Washington are probable.
The Jazz are struggling defensively this season, ranking last in points allowed at 127.4 per game, despite ranking sixth in scoring with 119.3 points per contest. Utah has dropped two straight games, most recently a 144-122 loss at Dallas on January 15.
Dallas, meanwhile, ranks 24th in scoring (113.6 PPG) but maintains a top-10 defense. The Mavericks are 16-26 this season and have won one of their last two games, including the decisive 144-122 win over the Jazz earlier this week.
Utah’s top performers have been Lauri Markkanen, averaging 27.9 points per game before his absence, and Keyonte George with 23.7 points and 6.8 assists per game. Brice Sensabaugh and Jusuf Nurkic also provide scoring and rebounding stability.
For Dallas, Anthony Davis has been their leading contributor when available, posting 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. Cooper Flagg and Max Christie add scoring depth, while P.J. Washington offers reliable rebounding and mid-range shooting.
This will be the third meeting of the season between the two teams, with the home team winning the first two matchups. Utah won 140-133 in overtime on December 15 and 116-114 on January 8, while Dallas claimed the most recent game 144-122.
