The Jazz fall short in final preseason game

The Utah Jazz hosted the Dallas Mavericks for the final game of Utah’s preseason. The Jazz worked hard, hustled, and kept the game close throughout, despite Dallas being a better team and playing close to a regular rotation.

Luka Doncic played 30 minutes and scored 24 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. had a big game off the bench with 20 efficient points. But the Jazz remained pesky.

The Jazz veterans looked in control. There was a lot of good ball movement and great defensive effort. Mike Conley and Kelly Olynyk showed a lot of chemistry for a couple of teammates who have yet to play a regular season game together. Jarred Vanderbilt led the defense with three steals and even more deflections.

Dallas turned on the jets in the fourth quarter to claim the 115-101 win.

Player of the game

Lauri Markannen is all set up to lead the Utah Jazz in scoring this year, and he’s showing that capability already. He looked comfortable on the court tonight, scoring 21 points and grabbing ten boards. He was cutting, driving, shooting off screens, running the pick & roll, and running fastbreaks. He’s a versatile player and showed a lot of his arsenal tonight.

Another player that deserves a shoutout is rookie Walker Kessler, who had yet another strong showing with 12 points and seven rebounds. He continues to impress the fans each game.

The following Utah Jazz game will be the regular season opener vs. the Denver Nuggets on October 19th.