The Dallas Mavericks snapped a two-game losing streak with a dominant 147-97 victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. Luka Doncic had a triple-double before the first-half came to an end, and Dallas was able to cruise to the win.
Doncic and the entire Mavs team played well. Sure, they were going up against a struggling Utah Jazz team. Nevertheless, a win is a win and Dallas should certainly be proud of their effort.
Without further ado, here are four takeaways from the Mavs' explosion versus the Jazz.
Luka Doncic might be the most dominant player in the NBA right now
Luka Doncic has been considered one of the best players in the NBA over the past few years. Everyone knows he's a terrific player. However, Doncic has yet to win an MVP. He would unquestionably be a serious contender for the award if the season came to an end today.
Luka was fantastic on Wednesday, finishing the game with 40 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. He went 14-of-25 from the field and 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. Doncic's 3-point shooting has improved in 2023-24 and he looks more confident than ever in terms of taking shots from deep.
And he is continuing to perform well in all facets of the game. Doncic is an excellent distributor, and he's capable of helping out on the boards. Additionally, Luka continues to work hard on improving his defense.
He belongs in the most dominant player in the league conversation.
Mavs defense is capable of stepping up
Limiting the Jazz to 97 points may not seem extremely impressive given Utah's 2023-24 struggles. But the Mavs have endured their share of struggles on the defensive end of the floor, even against underwhelming opponents. Wednesday's performance felt like a statement from Dallas, though.
This team can play defense. Dallas forced 19 Jazz turnovers. The Mavs also recorded 11 steals and five blocked shots.
Derrick Jones Jr. and Dereck Lively both finished with two blocked shots each. And speaking of Jones, he enjoyed another solid game on Wednesday after performing well on Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Derrick Jones Jr. is underrated
Jones took just five shots from the field against the Jazz, but he converted on four of those attempts. He also went 1-of-2 from beyond the arc and finished with 12 total points.
He scored 24 points on Saturday versus OKC as well. He features scoring potential, something that's been overlooked over the past few seasons. Dallas is going to keep giving him opportunities to score based on recent results.
Jones' all-around impact was felt Wednesday, however. He added the aforementioned two blocked shots to go along with one steal and four rebounds.
Jones works extremely hard on the defensive end of the floor and offers offensive potential. He is going to be a key player for Dallas moving forward.
Mavs' depth is intriguing
Finally, we conclude by taking a look at the Mavs' depth. Everyone knows that Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are superstars. Tim Hardaway Jr., Dereck Lively and Derrick Jones Jr. have stepped up this season as well. But there are other players making positive impacts for the Mavs.
Seth Curry has shot the ball well in recent action and could emerge as a key scoring threat off the bench. Dante Exum dished out seven assists against Utah, while Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored six points and recorded five rebounds.
Dallas' bench can help the team win games. The Mavs all-around depth deserves more respect.
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