P.J. Washington scored 26 points and Cooper Flagg nearly posted a triple-double as the Dallas Mavericks beat Jazz 112-100 in NBA Cup group play Friday at American Airlines Center. The win moved Dallas to 5-4, while Utah fell to 1-8.
Dallas outscored Utah 32-23 in the third quarter to pull away after the Jazz had taken a 57-47 lead into halftime. The Mavericks outrebounded Utah 55-41, including a 21-8 edge on the offensive glass, and scored 48 points in the paint compared to 36 for the Jazz. Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 24 points and eight rebounds but shot just 8 of 20 from the field.
Key Moments: How Dallas Took Control
Utah started strong and built as large as an 8-point lead in the first half. The Jazz led 57-47 at the break and made 15 of 39 three-point attempts for the game.
The Mavericks flipped the game in the third quarter, outscoring Utah 32-19 in the period. Dallas built its largest lead of the night at 20 points during the surge, fueled by second-chance opportunities and a deliberate push to the rim. The Mavericks finished the game shooting 25 of 31 from the free-throw line, more than double Utah’s 13 attempts, a gap that reflected how much more often Dallas attacked the basket in the second half.
Top Performers
Washington led all scorers with 26 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 6 of 10 from three-point range, and added six rebounds. Flagg finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals, posting a plus-17 rating that led both teams. Morez Johnson Jr. grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds off the bench for Dallas.
For Utah, Markkanen’s 24 points paced the Jazz, while Keyonte George added 16 points and nine assists. Darryn Peterson scored 21 points with three blocks, and Ace Bailey contributed 12 points. The Jazz committed 21 turnovers that Dallas converted into 18 points, a margin that offset Utah’s hot shooting from the perimeter.
What It Means
Dallas improved to 5-4 and sits fourth in the Southwest Division, two games behind division-leading Houston. The Mavericks also hold a 1-0 edge in the season series against Utah. The Jazz have now lost seven straight games and sit last in the Northwest Division at 1-8, six games behind division-leading Portland.
Dallas has alternated wins and losses in recent games, including a one-point setback to the San Antonio Spurs earlier this season. Utah continues to search for consistency after being outscored by teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and Spurs in recent matchups.
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