The Utah Jazz shifted the momentum to their side by spoiling the return of Luka Doncic in Game 4 of their series against the Dallas Mavericks with a 100-99 win. The tightly contested victory evened the series at two games apiece as the series goes back to Texas for Game 5.

 

It was surely a confidence-boosting win for Quin Snyder's team, especially now that they have the tall task of containing Doncic in the remaining games of this series. Without a doubt, several things went right for Utah in this particular tilt, which helped them gain the upper hand and get a pivotal victory on their home floor.

Let's take a look at three reasons that allowed the Jazz to bounce back in Game 4 against the Mavericks, saving their season for at least the time being.

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4 reasons Jazz saved their season in Game 4

4. Utah took better care of the ball

Turnovers marred the Jazz in their Game 3 loss, with 14 giveaways compared to just nine for Dallas. In Game 4, Utah took better care of the ball after turning over the ball just eight times, while the Mavs coughed up 12 total turnovers.

If the Jazz can continue minimizing their turnovers, this series can definitely get tighter even more.

3. The Jazz won the battle in the paint

In a game where their shots from beyond the arc weren't successful (10-of-35), the Jazz won the battle down low. Utah outscored the Mavericks in the shaded area, 38-30, which is a notable disparity given that the game was only decided by a single point.

Furthermore, the Jazz got up a whopping 42 free throws. While only 26 of those were cashed in, that was still more than Dallas attempted as a team (23). Being aggressive in the paint and getting to the foul line played a crucial role in this game.

Utah's activity in the rebounding department was also huge as it secured 46 total rebounds (13 offensive) as compared to Dallas' 43 (seven offensive). Their starting center in Rudy Gobert also had a much better outing after a dismal Game 3 performance — putting up 17 points and 15 rebounds this time around. His biggest contribution on the night was the game-winning dunk that he made in the final seconds, which ultimately lifted the Jazz to victory in Game 4.

Given that the Mavericks don't really have a strong inside presence, the Jazz can continue to maximize Gobert's size and focus on this area in order to get a significant advantage in the remaining games of this series.

2. Jordan Clarkson stepped up for his struggling teammates

In Game 3, Bojan Bogdanovic made a huge impact for the Jazz by being the second-leading scorer with 24 points. Mike Conley also had a great outing with 21 points of his own. After delivering solid performances in Game 3, both players, however, weren't able to carry over their momentum in Game 4.

Bogdanovic only ended up with 12 points on 1-of-5 shots from beyond the arc. Conley was limited to six points after making 1-of-4 attempts from 3. Royce O'Neale, meanwhile, struggled for the past two games for the Jazz. He only scored two points in 32 minutes in Game 3 and notched seven points in 33 minutes in Game 4.

Amid their subpar performances, Jordan Clarkson stepped up off the bench and became the team's leading scorer in Game 4 with 25 points. Meanwhile, the Dallas bench managed a paltry 13 points, with Spencer Dinwiddie struggling mightily and Maxi Kleber falling back down to earth.

Guys like Bogdanovic, Conley, and O'Neale will definitely have to find ways to get back on track, especially on the offensive end as soon as possible. Clarkson, meanwhile, will have to continue being the spark the Jazz need on the second unit in order for them to increase their chances of surviving this series.

1. Dwight Powell's woes in the final seconds allowed the Jazz to secure the victory

While Rudy Gobert deserves to be credited for making the game-winning dunk in the final seconds of Game 4, it is also important to point out that the Mavericks' Dwight Powell made crucial errors allowing the Jazz to emerge with the victory. Leading up to the final play, the Canadian big man missed two free clutch throws with Dallas clinging to a one-point lead.

Utah capitalized on the missed shots as Donovan Mitchell located a wide-open Rudy Gobert rolling down the lane to seal the game for the Jazz. Again, Powell was responsible for defending Gobert on that final play, but he couldn't keep in step with his man, which allowed the Frenchman to have an open look at the basket.

On top of that, Powell only scored 11 points in Game 4 after going scoreless in Game 3. With his ineffectiveness on the floor, Utah was able to take a crucial win and shift the momentum back on its side. Given that Powell is struggling, the need to feed Gobert more in the paint has been emphasized and can potentially give a major edge to the Jazz in this series.