Kyrie Irving scored 23 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks past visiting Utah in a 110-102 victory on Monday night in a game marred by an injury to Jazz power forward Taylor Hendricks.
After Dallas lost Saturday at Phoenix, when only Irving, Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson scored in double figures for the Mavericks, coach Jason Kidd lamented his team needed more production from other players besides that trio.
The players received the message as six finished with at least 10 points on Monday and several role players stood out at key points.
In the final 4:31 of the third period, Spencer Dinwiddie went 3-for-3 on 3-point attempts and scored all 11 of his points. That spurt helped turn a 65-63 Mavericks lead into an 82-70 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Dallas’ P.J. Washington produced 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Dereck Lively II had 14 points. Thompson scored 18 points, Doncic contributed 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Irving added a game-high nine assists.
Utah, which shot just 37 percent while losing its third straight, did not get closer than five points during the final quarter. Collin Sexton led the Jazz with 23 points. Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George each had 17 points, John Collins put up 16 points, and Walker Kessler finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Mavericks needed efforts from around the roster as Doncic, last year’s scoring champion, made only 5 of 22 shots. Doncic, an All-NBA First-Team player in each of the past five seasons, also hit just one of his nine shots from beyond the 3-point arc.
Dallas led all the way after the opening minute. Irving drained a pair of 3-pointers in the final 37 seconds of the first quarter to give the hosts a 27-19 lead.
The point guard would then convert a pair of free throws in the opening minute of the second period to extend the advantage to 31-20, the Mavericks’ largest of the first half.
Hendricks, a 6-foot-9 Jazz forward, fractured his right fibula and dislocated his ankle near the midpoint of the third quarter. He slipped while moving toward the post on offense, with his right leg bending awkwardly under his body.
Officials delayed the game for several minutes as staff from both teams tended to the ninth overall pick in the 2023 draft before he left the court on a stretcher.
Hendricks wound up with two points and three rebounds in 21 minutes, and he is averaging 2.7 points and five rebounds per game this season.
Taylor Hendricks snaps leg, ankle; will miss rest of season
Utah forward Taylor Hendricks fractured his right fibula and dislocated his ankle during the third quarter of the Jazz’s 110-102 loss to the host Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.
Hendricks sustained the injuries with 5:59 remaining in the third, with his right leg getting caught up under him as he fell to the floor while getting back on offense.
A stretcher had to be brought out for Hendricks, who will miss the rest of the season, according to a report by ESPN.
“That’s hard to stomach,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. “He’s put in a lot of hard work. He’s a great kid, and so we’re really just trying to focus on him, his health, keeping him up, his spirits up as he begins the road of his recovery. But these are the moments in sports that suck.”
Prior to exiting the meeting with Dallas, Hendricks had two points, three rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes of action.
Hendricks, 20, is in his second NBA season. The Jazz selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2023 draft out of UCF.
In three games (all starts) this season, Hendricks posted averages of 4.7 points and five rebounds. – Rappler.com