Green, Hardy help Mavs surprise Jazz 124-111 without Doncic
Hardy #Hardy
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Josh Green and Jaden Hardy each scored career highs of 29 points and the short-handed Dallas Mavericks, playing without Luka Doncic, stunned the Utah Jazz 124-111 on Monday night after completing a trade for Kyrie Irving.
The Mavericks acquired the eight-time All-Star along with Markieff Morris from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two future second-round picks.
Irving and Morris arrived in Dallas on Monday to undergo physicals and were not available for the game. But their new team rallied behind Green, who averages 8.1 points, and Hardy, who scores 5.6 per game.
When Green was on the court, the Mavericks outscored the Jazz by an astonishing 39 points and won their first game in eight tries without Doncic, their leading scorer with 33.4 points a game.
Doncic (heel bruise) missed his third game in 10 days. The Jazz beat the Mavs 108-100 on Jan. 28, when the Slovenian star was out with a sprained ankle. This time the Mavericks bested the Jazz in nearly hustle category, including a 49-37 advantage on the boards.
After scoring 12 total points over six games, Hardy broke out for his career night and Dwight Powell added 12 points and a career-best 16 rebounds.
Jordan Clarkson paced Utah with 26 points on 7-for-19 shooting and Lauri Markkanen added 19 — the first time he has failed to reach 20 points in the last 21 games.
The Jazz are now 7-5 on a stretch where they’re playing 11 of 13 games at home, when they hoped to gain ground on teams like Dallas, but are now two games behind the Mavs.
The Jazz struggle when their 3s aren’t falling and they often fail to get back on defense. The upstart Mavs led the Jazz 27-4 on fast break points.
As could be expected with different rotations and the end of the bench getting significant minutes, the Mavericks looked out of sync at times. But they started running at every opportunity and went on a 23-6 run bridging the second and third quarters to take a 75-66 lead.
The Jazz trimmed the lead to a single possession in the fourth quarter but could never catch the Mavs.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Rookie McKinley Wright IV finished his first start with a career-high 10 points. … Davis Bertans (left calf strain) and Maxi Kleber (right hamstring tear) were out. … Dallas outscored Utah on second-chance points, 24-12
Jazz: Jarred Vanderbilt, the subject of persistent trade rumors, missed his second game with back spasms. … Mike Conley, who had a game-high 11 assists, turned his ankle in the fourth quarter but continued to play after a timeout. … Utah went 6 of 31 from 3-point range but had a 62-42 edge in the paint.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Continue five-game road trip at the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.
Jazz: Host Minnesota on Friday.