PLAYOFF GAME 1: UTA (1-0) vs. DAL (0-1)| 99-93 Loss

[MaxiThreeba]

Dinwiddie has been bad.  Mavs could have won this game if Spence showed up…he didn’t.

[DrMav]

Please God let Luka’s calf heal. This would have been a 10+ point win with Luka.

[burekemde]

I think Mavs can win the next one. Its close between these two teams.

With Luka, this was a win easy.

[BoredAssistant]

I am encouraged by this game.  Looking forward to Monday evening!

[ThisIStheYear]

God the Jazz played terrible. To play even worse and lose on your home floor even with a friendly whistle is just ugly.

[Jommybone]

Grand effort. Utah is not a good team. We have a chance as long as Luka returns at some point.

[Kammrath]

Maxi: -13
DP: +9
DB: +4

Have to get better minutes from Maxi or bench him.

[burekemde]

I am encouraged by this game.  Looking forward to Monday evening!

The team plays a lot more physical than last two years playoffs. That's for sure. Defense looks great. Just need Luka back, and we sweep the Jazz. Better wait for Luka healthy than rush him in next game. It takes patience. Its a marathon the playoffs, not a sprint. I think Mavs can win the next one without Luka. Then, Luka is back, and Jazz are in serious trouble. The team should not panic, but look at the tape what worked the best and what Jazz had the most trouble with. Build on that. Now its the time for Kidd to adjust slightly the gameplan, not much is needed.

[Kammrath]

Very concerned about JB against length still. Not feeling better about that. Targeted on D where he requires a double and missing shots he makes in the regular season.

[cow]

DB: +4

This is why I don't love +/- as a stat.  Utah didn't take advantage of DB in the first half.  Mavs didn't take advantage of DB's skillset the entire game.  And that's not my usual hate for DB.  I actually have a lot of nice things to say about him after this game even if I don't think he played great.  I love his confidence in himself and I love the fact that he gets frustrated by the lack of opportunities and will take matters into his own hands.  We need more players with his mindset.

[burekemde]

Very concerned about JB against length still. Not feeling better about that. Targeted on D where he requires a double and missing shots he makes in the regular season.

Im not worried, he was a real weapon tonight. He will adjust the minor situations he had trouble with. It was not the length but he had to anticipate better - JB had more time and space than he thought and rushed some shots where he could have taken more time to get a better shot inside, I find that opposite then hard dealing with length.

SD needs to get his free throw shooting back. He should just continue to attack and get to the line, it will come.

Very encouraging for game 2.

[Mavs2021]

Very concerned about JB against length still. Not feeling better about that. Targeted on D where he requires a double and missing shots he makes in the regular season.

I didn´t get why they stayed with JB on Bojan for so long,when Bojan initiated most of their offense. Not like O´Neale or Conley were on fire.

[cow]

Very concerned about JB against length still. Not feeling better about that. Targeted on D where he requires a double and missing shots he makes in the regular season.

He just feels like a "get mine" 6th man.  There is nothing wrong with that but if I'm another team, I'm not sure I'd invest in him to run the show.  The only benefit of the doubt I give him is that I don't think he's had a game plan around him that encourages more than approximating what the team does with Luka.

[Hypermav]

Sure could have used that ball hog Doncic.

[MFFL]

If Dinwiddie hadn't missed 6 free throws and Maxi that backbreaking 3 then Utah would be roasted by the national media for choking again

[Hypermav]

Royce friggin O'neill was the dagger.  We see lots of him when Luka plays but he was almost invisible, almost.

[cow]

If Dinwiddie hadn't missed 6 free throws and Maxi that backbreaking 3 then Utah would be roasted by the national media for choking again

Outside of Luka coming back, Dinwiddie not playing like shit is the Mavs biggest hope but I can't say I'm very hopeful without 77.  Utah had a pretty bad first half and still squeaked out a lead.  Snyder also made adjustments to exploit JB and DB in the second half.  We got pounded on the boards.  The Josh Green draft hurts more than ever as they refused to even cover him.

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Royce friggin O'neill was the dagger.  We see lots of him when Luka plays but he was almost invisible, almost.

His offensive rebound off his own miss on that sequence was even more impressive.

[omahen]

I think this is reality. Mitchell has been bad and I don't think he will have two such games in a row. Still Mavs couldn't pull it off. Not sure we can expect Maxi to play better. Defense is leaving him wide open and he manages 7 shots. Basically what we know he is, no surprise there. Green similar. They will be leaving him wide open. Brunson and Dinwiddie can beat their man but not well enough, not like Luka. Defense doesn't need to double/help much. Bullock and DFS gave what is their reality, I think they were very good. 

Bottomline, I can see Utah play much better, but I don't think Mavs have another gear without Luka.

[VintagePejav2]

Nice try. Oh well. This one will probably be over quickly without Luka.

[RasheedsBigWhiteSpot]

Okay, my greatest fear has been realized: much of the rest of the series is on NBATV.  I have YoutubeTV, which mean no Bally's and it being blacked out on NBATV.  Suggestions around this bullshit?