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SALT LAKE CITY (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — The view wasn’t what Dallas Mavericks followers had imagined for his or her new breakout star. Jalen Brunson was mendacity flat and nonetheless, watching his teammates construct a 17-point lead earlier than halftime on the monitor within the locker room.
“I noticed how onerous the staff was taking part in after I was laying again there,” Brunson stated. “It gave me a bit of mojo to return again on the market and do my factor.”
Brunson scored 31 factors taking part in with a bruised again and the Mavericks — with out the injured Luka Doncic — beat the Utah Jazz 126-118 on Thursday night time to take a 2-1 lead within the first-round playoff sequence.
“We’re all on the identical web page,” Brunson stated. “We’re all clicking. We’re all speaking and speaking.”
Dallas coach Jason Kidd is not glad with the street win and the sequence benefit.
“I simply informed the blokes we have not executed something,” Kidd stated. “They received at our place and now we received right here. We have to put this sport behind us and work out what we have to do higher.”
It is onerous to think about the Mavericks taking part in a lot better with out Doncic and hope to have him again for the following sport.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 of his 20 factors within the fourth quarter for Dallas, Maxi Kleber had 17 factors and Dorian Finney-Smith added 14 factors, hitting a 3-pointer with 1:56 left for a 10-point lead.
Doncic has missed all three of the video games within the sequence with a strained calf, with indicators pointing to his return for Recreation 4 on Saturday in Salt Lake Metropolis.
Donovan Mitchell scored 28 of his 32 factors within the second half for Utah. Bojan Bogdanovic added 24 and Mike Conley had 21. The Jazz had received 11 in a row at dwelling in opposition to Dallas.
Conley obtained the Jazz to 103-102, however Dinwiddie made two baskets and Brunson scored six factors on three straight possessions to make it 113-104.
“His shot-creating and shot-making has been wonderful all season, however the willpower he has coming down the stretch to hit these huge photographs and the arrogance he has is simply enjoyable to observe,” Kleber stated.
Brunson appeared to harm his again halfway by means of the second quarter when Royce O’Neale hit him full-speed from behind. He moved gingerly, rubbed his decrease again and earned a technical on his manner off the courtroom complaining about an affordable shot.
Brunson did not need to elaborate on the hit after the sport. “I stated what I needed to say” on the ground.
However he shook it off and toyed with Jazz on quite a lot of drives to the hampers in opposition to a number of totally different defenders. Brunson now has 96 factors within the three video games of the sequence. He solely has one turnover within the final two video games.
“He is distinctive in his bodily energy and his means to form of hold his dribble alive within the lane the place he actually makes use of his physique. He is capable of play along with his ft on the ground, so for those who do attempt to come over and assist, he has the flexibility to search out folks and spray the ball out,” Utah coach Quin Snyder stated.
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