Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks 4/18/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks Matchup Preview (4/18/22)

The Utah Jazz (1-0) face the Dallas Mavericks (0-1) in Game 2 of the First Round. Utah stole the first game 99-93, and now Dallas must get a win on the road at some point. Donovan Mitchell had 2 points at halftime, but he finished with 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Bojan Bogdanovic scorched the Mavericks for 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists on 55 FG%. Rudy Gobert scored 5 points without making a shot (0/1 FG), but he dominated the Mavericks from start to finish. Gobert logged 17 rebounds and 3 blocks while terrorizing them on defense. Jordan Clarkson chipped in 10 points off the bench on 4/7 from the field. Trent Forrest is a game time decision for Game 2, but he’s not a vital part of the rotation. The bench unit can survive without him. 

Even though they lost, there were encouraging signs for the Dallas Mavericks. Spencer Dinwiddie produced 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists on 40 FG%. His backcourt partner Jalen Brunson added 24 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists on an uninspiring 37.5 FG%. Reggie Bullock added 15 points on 3/8 from three, and Dorian Finney-Smith chipped in 14 points on 2/5 from three. Although Dwight Powell didn’t score much (4 points), he contributed 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks while playing solid defense. The elephant in the room is superstar Luka Doncic’s health. He missed Game 1 with a calf strain, and he’s not expected to play in Game 2. At 28.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 8.7 APG, he did everything for the Mavericks. They will have to adjust to life without Luka or be knocked out of the playoffs early.

Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks Betting Odds

The Jazz and Mavericks split their season series 2-2, but they had Luka for three of those games. The spread for Game 1 was -5.5 Jazz, and the over under was set at 208 total points. The spread remained the same for Game 2, but the over under dropped to 205.5 points. I like the Jazz to cover the spread here and go up 2-0. At this point, it would be a shock if Luka played. Without him, the Mavericks offense is starved for shot creation and playmaking. The Mavericks held the Jazz to 99 points, but can they repeat that performance considering Utah was 1st in Offensive Rating and 6th in FG%? It’s unlikely to me that the Jazz struggle to score as much as they did in Game 1. Utah has arguably the top three players in this matchup (Mitchell, Gobert, Conley), and Bogdanovic is right there with Dinwiddie and Brunson. The talent gap and Jazz chemistry indicate Utah will cover in Game 2.

The teams combined for 192 points in Game 1, which is comfortably below 206 points. However, I don’t think the Mavericks shoot a 38.3 FG% and 28.1 3PT% again. I also find it hard to believe that the Jazz once again score 99 points on a 43.4 FG% and 31.8 3PT%. Because I expect both teams to shoot better and start to find their groove, the over is an easy choice here.

TV Schedule

Date: 4/19/22
Time: 8:30 PM ET
Arena: American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX
Channel: NBAtv

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Utah Jazz Starting Lineup

PG: Mike Conley
SG: Donovan Mitchell
SF: Bojan Bogdanovic
PF: Royce O’Neale
C: Rudy Gobert

Utah Jazz Analysis

When Mitchell was struggling and Gobert didn’t shoot, the Jazz turned to Bojan Bogdanovic. He was excellent at initiating the offense and tested the Mavericks defense. Utah gave him the ball on the elbow with his back to the basket and spaced the floor with shooters. If Dallas sent help, Bojan fired cross-court passes where shooters were stationed. The ball movement was exceptional, and the offense flowed. If Dallas didn’t send help, Bojan was torching his defender in isolation. 

Mitchell and Bogdanovic are the best contested shot-makers on the team, but Utah needs to incorporate Gobert and Conley more. During the regular season, Conley shot 41.4% on catch and shoot threes. He’s more of a facilitator at this stage of his career, but it’s unacceptable that he attempted 2 three-pointers in 34 minutes. Gobert, meanwhile, took one shot the entire game! He’s a far better defender than scorer, yet the Jazz were ignoring him when he had a mismatch. There were times when Gobert was sealing Dinwiddie or Brunson, and Utah didn’t feed him the ball. He shouldn’t lead the Jazz in FGA, but giving him paint touches will balance the offense and give Jazz shooters more room. 

Quin Snyder ran some 2-3 zones during the game with solid results. Because Dallas was struggling mightily from three, Utah protected the paint with the zone and dared the Mavericks to beat them with three-pointers. It worked in Game 1, so it will be worth monitoring whether Snyder revives it for Game 2. 

Dallas Mavericks Starting Lineup

PG: Spencer Dinwiddie
SG: Jalen Brunson
SF: Reggie Bullock
PF: Dorian Finney-Smith
C: Dwight Powell

Dallas Mavericks Analysis

The biggest takeaway for Dallas was their sturdy defense. They forced 14 turnovers, and although Mitchell scored 32 points, he did it on 10/29 (34.4%) shooting. Reggie Bullock in particular had some excellent defensive stretches. The offense also showed glimpses of hope when the ball was constantly moving. Dallas started to struggle when Dinwiddie and Brunson went into isolation mode. It works for Luka, but he’s on a completely different level than those two. 

Dinwiddie also couldn’t capitalize on free points; he went 10/16 (62.5%) from the free throw line even though he owns a career 79 FT%. If Dinwiddie goes 13/16 (81.5%) from the line and Brunson shoots 11/24 instead of 9/24, the Mavericks are up one point. The game would have played differently, but my point is that a victory was in their grasp despite their flaws. Dallas can win Game 2 if they carry over their defense from Game 1 and have a normal shooting game.