Luka Doncic leads Dallas Mavericks out of the play-in with win over Utah Jazz

The Dallas Mavericks were the 8th seed coming into this game, but Luka Doncic played a phenomenal game to help them climb in the standings with a 113-97 victory over the Utah Jazz at American Airlines Center.

After missing the playoffs last year, the Mavs are looking to not only make the postseason but have a deep run. Dallas reached the Western Conference Finals back in 2022 and although a lot of the players from that team is gone, some could argue that this year’s squad is better.

Luka has continued to develop into an MVP talent while Kyrie Irving is a complimentary piece who can take pressure off #77. Trades were made during the season to acquire more depth and it’s paying off as this team is having success.

The 25-year-old Slovenian guard finished with 34 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals while knocking down 4 three-pointers. Kyrie Irving had 16 points, 5 boards, and 7 assists while Daniel Gafford popped off for 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Derrick Jones Jr. made all 4 of his field goals for a total of 12 points.

Lauri Markkanen scored a team-high 21 points while Collin Sexton provided 20 points on 64% shooting off the bench. Keyontae George had 18 points and 5 assists while Walker Kessler finished with 14 points and 9 rebounds on 7/7 shooting.

Dallas improves to 41-29 with this win and currently sits as the 6th seed out West. It’s a tight race to avoid the play-in so picking up this victory is huge for the Mavs. They have been rolling as of late, winning 3 games in a row and going 7-3 over their last 10. Their next matchup will be on Monday against the Jazz.

Utah drops to 29-41 with this loss and have now lost 4 games in a row. It looks like they will be entering the lottery once again so their main focus will be on the off-season. The Jazz are 2-8 over their last 10 games and will look to get revenge on Monday against this same Mavericks team.