MAVERICKS (1-1) AT UTAH JAZZ (1-1)
Time: 8 p.m.
Place: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City
TV: BSSW, NBA TV
Radio: The Eagle, 97.1 FM; Univision 99.1 FM (Spanish)
About the Mavericks: After sitting out the first two games of this best-of-seven series with a strained left calf, superstar point guard Luka Doncic is listed as questionable for Game 3. Doncic spoke to the media Wednesday and said of his calf: “I’m going to see how it feels (today) and then talk to the medical staff. At the end of the day if they say there’s no risk and I feel good, I’m going to be ready to go. But if I don’t feel good, then I’m not going to risk it.”. .Behind a career-high 41 points from Jalen Brunson and 25 points from Maxi Kleber, the Mavs knotted this first-round playoff series at a game apiece with Monday’s 110-104 victory. Brunson also collected eight rebounds and five assists and became the only player in Mavs’ postseason history to score at least 40 points without committing a turnover. Brunson was 15-of-25 from the 
field, including 6-of-10 from behind the three-point line. In addition, Brunson and Doncic (twice) are the only players in Mavs’ history to collect 40-plus points, eight-plus rebounds and five-plus assists in a regulation-length playoff game. Kleber, meanwhile, scored the second-most points he’s ever tallied in the NBA. He also was 8-of-11 from three-point range. That’s the second-most three-pointers by a member of the Mavs in a postseason game, topped only by the 9-of-10 showing Jason Terry had against the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2011 playoffs. . .The Mavs committed a franchise playoff-low three turnovers against Utah in Game 2 – all by Spencer Dinwiddie in the first half. . .The Mavs were 22-of-47 from three-point land in Game 2. That’s a new franchise record for the most triples in a playoff game. A total of 17 of those made three-pointers were uncontested. That’s the most by any team in the past 10 postseasons. . .Reggie Bullock was 3-of-5 from three-point territory in Game 1, and Dorian Finney-Smith was 3-of-9 from downtown.
About the Jazz: Thanks to eight missed free throws by the Mavs, the Jazz won Game 1 of this series, 99-93, and quickly snatched home court advantage away from Dallas. . .Donovan Mitchell poured in 32 points in the series opener – 30 in the second half – and added another 34 points in Game 2. Mitchell is 23-of-59 from the field, including 5-of-16 from three-point land, in the first two games of this series. Mitchell has now scored at least 30 points in eight of his last nine playoff appearances. . .Bojan Bogdanovic is 20-of-35 from the floor with 51 points in Games 1 and 2. . .Jordan Clarkson has given the Jazz a huge punch off the bench in the first two games with 31 points on 12-of-18 shots. . .The Jazz won the rebounding battle by 19 in each of the first two games. . .Utah outscored the Mavs in the paint in the opening two games, 100-64, and on second-chance points, 38-11. . .Center Rudy Gobert grabbed 17 rebounds in each of the first two games in this series. But the Mavs have bottled up Gobert on the
offensive end of the court as he’s only gotten off six shots – including just one in the series opener – and is only 2-of-6 from the field. Gobert also has connected on just one of his patented lob dunks in the entire series. “We’re trying to make it tough,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He had some good looks that he normally makes, so we’ve got to do a better job with that. We’re trying to make it tough on him because we know he is valuable for them on the offensive end. So we’ve got to make sure that we guard him and we’ve got to take those lobs away.”. . The Jazz have won the last 11 games they’ve played against the Mavs in Salt Lake City. . .Utah was second in the NBA in three-pointers attempted (40.3) and made (14.5) this season. But in the series the Jazz are only 18-of-51 from downtown as the Mavs have made a concerted effort to chase them off the three-point line.
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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