Mavs host Jazz in huge Western Conference showdown

UTAH JAZZ (40-23) AT MAVERICKS (39-25)

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas

TV: BSSW

Radio: The Eagle, 97.1 FM; Univision 99.1 FM (Spanish)

About the Mavericks: At this stage of the season, this is a huge showdown as only a game-and-a-half separate the two clubs for the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings. . .The Mavs have stitched together an impressive 23-7 record since Dec. 31. The only team with a better record since Dec. 31 are the Phoenix Suns (24-6). . .The Mavs also are 10-2 in their last 12 games. No team has a better record over their last 12 games, although the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and Jazz are also 10-2 in their last 12. . .This is the third of a four-game home stand for the Mavs. So far they are 2-0 following Thursday’s 122-113 win over the Golden State Warriors and Saturday’s dramatic 114-113 victory over the Sacramento Kings. The home stand concludes Wednesday against the New York Knicks before the Mavs start a five-game road trip Friday in Houston. . .The Mavs are 14 games over .500 for the first time since they were 39-25 on March 6. . .The last time the Mavs were 15 games over .500 occurred when they were 46-31 on April 4, 2015. That season the Mavs reached as high as 19 games over .500 on two occasions – the last time at 44-25 on March 18, 2015 after a 107-102 home win over the Orlando Magic – before finishing the season with a 50-32 record. . .Luka Doncic is listed as probable to be back tonight for the Mavs after sitting out the victory over Sacramento with a left toe sprain. The last time Doncic played in a game, he finished with 41 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and a pair of steals in that nine-point triumph over the Warriors. . .Jalen Brunson (right foot contusion) is listed as out and Maxi Kleber (right ankle soreness) is probable. . .With the Mavs and Kings tied at 111 on Saturday, Dorian Finney-Smith drained a game-winning three-point basket with just 3.8 seconds remaining. Spencer Dinwiddie led the Mavs with 36 points and seven assists, Brunson finished with 23 points and six assists, and Finney-Smith contributed 17 points, six rebounds and two steals and was 5-of-11 from three-point land. Also for the Mavs, Josh Green tallied 12 points and grabbed a career-high 12 boards, and Reggie Bullock added 11 points. . .The game against the Kings marked the second time in a week the Mavs rallied from at least a 19-point deficit to win. The Mavs trailed the Kings by 19 points, and they also fell behind the Warriors by 21 points on Feb. 27 in San Francisco before rallying for a 107-101 victory. The last time the Mavs won two games in one week after trailing by at least 19 points was in February, 2006.

About the Jazz: Utah will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back tonight. Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic was on fire Sunday night as he scored 35 points in 34 minutes during his team’s 116-103 victory at Oklahoma City. Bogdanovic converted 11-of-18 shots from three-point territory as OKC simply had to answer for his shooting spree. The 11 triples tossed are a franchise record. Also for Utah in that game, Donovan Mitchell finished with 24 points and 10 assists, Jordan Clarkson came off the bench for 20 points, and Rudy Gobert collected 12 points and 17 rebounds. Utah was 23-of-52 from three-point range, including 14-of-25 in the first half. Mike Conley sat out Sunday’s game just for resting purposes. . .This is the finale of a five-games-in-nine-days road trip for the Jazz. The trip started with a huge 118-114 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 27, and was followed by a 132-127 win in overtime against the Houston Rockets last Wednesday. The Jazz blew out a tire in New Orleans this past Friday as they were ambushed by the Pelicans, 124-90, before rebounding against OKC. . .With a win tonight, Utah will clinch the season series against the Mavs. Thanks to a pair of wins in Salt Lake City, the Jazz are 2-0 against the Mavs this season. . .Utah edged the Mavs, 120-116, on Christmas Day, in a game which the Mavs went into with a skeleton crew. Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Bullock, Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, Trey Burke and JaQuori McLaughlin all missed that game while in the health and safety protocols. Also, Dorian Finney-Smith sat out due to a non-COVID-related illness, and Willie Cauley-Stein was sidelined because of personal reasons. Mitchell led the Jazz with 33 points and three steals, Bogdanovic scored 25 points, Conley had 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Clarkson finished with 12 points and eight boards. . .During Utah’s 114-109 victory over the Mavs on Feb. 25, Mitchell collected another 33 points and five assists. He also was 11-of-19 from the field, including 7-of-12 from downtown. In addition for Utah, Bogdanovic tallied 18 points, Conley had 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals, and Gobert finished with 14 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks. . .The Jazz and Mavs will also play again at American Airlines Center on March 27.

Twitter: @DwainPrice