No Luka Doncic, no problem. The Dallas Mavericks came back from a 10-point halftime deficit to take Game 2 against the Utah Jazz and even up the series at one. This was a massive win for the Mavs, who are simply just trying to stay afloat until their All-Star guard can return to the lineup from a calf strain. Jalen Brunson went off for a career-high 41 points while Dallas also shot the lights out from deep at home.
Here are 3 reasons for the Mavs' huge win in Game 2.
3 biggest reasons Mavs pulled off Game 2 comeback
Jalen Brunson
There is simply no other way to put it: Brunson was playing out of his mind on Monday night. The ex-Villanova standout took the bull by the horns and carried the Mavs to the finish line. Aside from his 41, he also grabbed eight boards and dished out five assists while going 15 for 25 from the field and 6 for 10 from three-point land. Between his lights-out shooting and superior quickness with the rock, the Jazz couldn't stop him from scoring.
Brunson knew that he had to have a huge game in order to keep the Mavs in this series and avoid a 2-0 hole. His numbers during the regular season skyrocketed without Doncic and we saw just that in Game 2. Brunson has always been a big-game scorer back to his days at Nova where he won a national championship. To be honest, if the guard was a primary option elsewhere, he'd likely average 20-25 points per game, no questions asked. But, in his role with the Mavs, Brunson thrives and this was a moment where he had to step up to the plate. Needless to say, the 25-year-old delivered.
Mavs were hot from long range
Dallas was actually outplayed in several categories. They were destroyed on the boards, outscored in the paint, and overwhelmed on second-chance points. However, the Mavs simply couldn't miss a triple in this contest. Jason Kidd's group went a blistering 22 for 47 (47%) from beyond the arc, finding countless good looks throughout the game. Leading the charge was Maxi Kleber, who shot 8 for 11. He and Brunson alone accounted for 14 of the Mavs' triples. This was easily the game-changer for Dallas because the squad was simply getting outmatched down low.
Also, per ESPN Stats & Information research, 17 of their treys were uncontested, the most by any team over the past 10 postseasons. Seven of Kleber's eight were literally wide-open looks that you'd take in practice. While the Jazz defense is partly to blame, it was still a shooting clinic from the Mavs.
Attention to detail
If you can take good care of the basketball, it's always going to give your team a chance of winning a ballgame. The Mavs did just that in Game 2, committing only three turnovers. They were one of the best organizations in the Association during the regular season at limiting their mistakes, putting serious attention to detail.
The Mavs were truly in the zone here. Kidd's group wasn't making foolish passes or risky decisions. They took brilliant care of the basketball in every single way imaginable. Dallas needs to continue to do so in Game 3.
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