Dallas Mavericks Welcome Back Stingy Jazz

The Dallas Mavericks look to get back on track as they host the Utah Jazz at home after back-to-back losses.

Thursday night, the Mavs are slated to face off against Rudy Gobert, Gordon Hayward, and the Utah Jazz. The Mavs are coming off an excruciating defeat at the hands of a rival, the Portland Trail Blazers after losing to the Denver Nuggets the day before that.

The Mavs sit at 20-32 on the season, while the Jazz sit at a far different 34-19. Utah has taken several steps forward this season thanks to several key offseason acquisitions.

Entering game 53 of the season, the Mavs are in danger of suffering their first losing season in what seems like forever. The Mavs are still considerably far away from competing truly in the Western Conference, but a win over the Jazz tonight would help out their playoff hopes considerably.

The Mavs have just completed a tough three game stretch against two teams they are battling for the final playoff spot with, the Trail Blazers and the Nuggets. Securing one win against those two foes.

More from The Smoking Cuban

• Dallas Mavericks rumors: Team locked in on signing Kyle Lowry
• Mavericks: 5 free agent targets that pair nicely with Kristaps Porzingis
• Dallas Mavericks: Jason Kidd on Luka Doncic, the offense, and more
• 2021 NBA Draft order following Grizzlies and Pelicans trade
• Dallas Mavericks: 5 free agents to avoid this offseason

Yogi Ferrell has seemingly come back to earth after his outrageous performance against the Trail Blazers in Portland, drilling nine threes and scoring a team-leading thirty-two points. The Mavs’ new starting point guard has overtaken the forever-injured Deron Williams and increases the likelihood that Williams could be dealt away at the deadline. The Mavs are extremely thin at guard, as J.J. Barea and Williams are still out. Ferrell and Devin Harris have essentially had to pick up all the slack for the Mavs in their recent games.

The Mavs face a tall task against the deep, stingy Jazz.

Not only are the Jazz an extremely versatile defensive team under Head Coach Quin Snyder, but they have improved their ability to score drastically compared to previous years. Joe Johnson, George Hill, and Boris Diaw have given Gordon Hayward a considerable amount of help on the offensive end, making the Jazz similar to the Spurs in that they are able to score at will towards the end of the shot clock.

Tonight, the Mavs face a tough Utah team that continues to be one of the up-and-coming teams in the league. The Mavs not only face an upward climb to reach the eighth seed, but the team’s overall health continues to be cast in more and more doubt as the season progresses along.

Next: Mark Cuban to Participate in Celebrity Game

The Mavs’ clash with the Utah Jazz tips off at 7:30PM central time.