Player Grades: Recapping the Mavericks' embarrassing 115-113 loss at the Utah Jazz

Making sense of another disappointing loss

The Dallas Mavericks traveled to Salt Lake City on Monday night to take on the Utah Jazz. The Mavs were looking to bounce back from a tough loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night, but they fell short once again, losing 115-113. The Jazz were led by Donovan Mitchell, who scored 32 points. Rudy Gobert added 20 points and 15 rebounds, while Mike Conley chipped in with 18 points. The Mavericks were led by Luka Dončić, who scored 33 points. Spencer Dinwiddie added 20 points, and Christian Wood finished with 19 points. The Mavs shot just 42.9% from the field and 32.4% from three-point range. They also committed 16 turnovers. The Jazz shot 47.6% from the field and 36.4% from three-point range. They also committed just 9 turnovers. The Mavs are now 26-25 on the season. They are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference. The Jazz are now 28-23 on the season. They are currently in fourth place in the Western Conference.

Player Grades

**Luka Dončić:** A- Dončić led the Mavs in scoring with 33 points. He also added 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Dončić was efficient from the field, shooting 11-of-22. He also hit 3-of-8 from three-point range. Dončić was a force on both ends of the court, and he was the only Mavs player who played well consistently. **Spencer Dinwiddie:** B- Dinwiddie scored 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting. He also added 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Dinwiddie was a bit inefficient from the field, but he was able to create his own shot and get to the rim. He also hit 2-of-5 from three-point range. Dinwiddie was a solid contributor for the Mavs, but he needs to be more efficient from the field. **Christian Wood:** C+ Wood scored 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting. He also added 9 rebounds. Wood was efficient from the field, but he was not a factor on the defensive end. He was often caught out of position, and he allowed Gobert to get too many easy baskets. Wood needs to be better on the defensive end if he wants to be a consistent contributor for the Mavs. **Dorian Finney-Smith:** D+ Finney-Smith scored 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting. He also added 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Finney-Smith was inefficient from the field, and he was not a factor on either end of the court. He was often caught out of position on defense, and he did not provide much offensive production. Finney-Smith needs to be better if the Mavs want to be a contender. **Reggie Bullock:** D- Bullock scored 7 points on 3-of-10 shooting. He also added 4 rebounds. Bullock was inefficient from the field, and he was not a factor on either end of the court. He was often caught out of position on defense, and he did not provide much offensive production. Bullock needs to be better if the Mavs want to be a contender. **Overall:** The Mavs played a disappointing game against the Jazz. They were inefficient from the field, they committed too many turnovers, and they were not able to get stops on the defensive end. Dončić was the only Mavs player who played well consistently. The rest of the team needs to step up if the Mavs want to be a contender.