The Jazz return to action against the Mavericks

The All-Star break is over and the Utah Jazz (36-22) are back at it. They’ll host the Dallas Mavericks (35-24) tonight as both teams jockey for playoff positioning.

Donovan Mitchell, who missed the All-Star game due to an upper-respiratory illness, is not listed on the injury report today. Rudy Gay is doubtful, and Jared Butler is out.

The Mavericks are still adjusting to their roster after a surprising trade they made with the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline. Dallas sent Kristaps Porzingis and received Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. Both Dinwiddie and Bertans have played two games with the Mavs so far.

The Jazz are only 1.5 games ahead of the Mavericks in the standings, so this could be an important game for seeding purposes. Utah won the first of four matchups with Dallas this year, so winning the second one tonight would guarantee at worst a tie in the season series.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Friday, February 25th, 2022, 7:00 PM Mountain Time

Location: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT

LOCAL TV: ATTSN-RM

RADIO: 97.5/1280 The Zone, or listen on the Utah Jazz app

Uniform Matchup:

What to watch for

While the obvious matchup to talk about is the star guards, Luka Doncic and Donovan Mitchell, I think the key to tonight’s game will be the defense. These are two offensively potent teams, so I’ll be watching to see who can slow the other team down. Can Royce O’Neale, Mike Conley, and Donovan Mitchell bother Doncic on the perimeter? Can Rudy Gobert’s interior presence muck things up for Dallas? On the other side, can the Mavericks blow up Utah’s half-court offense? Whichever team performs

Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

best on defense likely wins this game.