Kyrie Irving scored 23 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks past visiting Utah in a 110-102 victory on Monday night in a game marred by an injury to Jazz power forward Taylor Hendricks.
After Dallas lost Saturday at Phoenix, when only Irving, Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson scored in double figures for the Mavericks, coach Jason Kidd lamented his team needed more production from other players besides that trio. The players received the message as six finished with at least 10 points on Monday and several role players stood out at key points.
In the final 4:31 of the third period, Spencer Dinwiddie went 3-for-3 on 3-point attempts and scored all 11 of his points. That spurt helped turn a 65-63 Mavericks lead into an 82-70 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Dallas’ P.J. Washington produced 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Dereck Lively II had 14 points. Thompson scored 18 points, Doncic contributed 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Irving added a game-high nine assists.
Utah, which shot just 37 percent while losing its third straight, did not get closer than five points during the final quarter. Collin Sexton led the Jazz with 23 points. Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George each had 17 points, John Collins put up 16 points, and Walker Kessler finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Mavericks needed efforts from around the roster as Doncic, last year’s scoring champion, made only 5 of 22 shots. Doncic, an All-NBA First-Team player in each of the past five seasons, also hit just one of his nine shots from beyond the 3-point arc.
Dallas led all the way after the opening minute. Irving drained a pair of 3-pointers in the final 37 seconds of the first quarter to give the hosts a 27-19 lead. The point guard would then convert a pair of free throws in the opening minute of the second period to extend the advantage to 31-20, the Mavericks’ largest of the first half.
Hendricks, a 6-foot-9 Jazz forward, sustained an apparent lower right leg injury midway through the third period. He slipped while moving toward the post on offense with his right leg bending awkwardly under his body. Officials delayed the game for several minutes as staff from both teams tended to the ninth overall pick in the 2023 draft before he left the court on a stretcher.
ESPN reported that Hendricks broke his right fibula and dislocated his ankle.
He wound up with two points and three rebounds in 21 minutes, and he is averaging 2.7 points and five rebounds per game this season.
–Field Level Media