The Dallas Mavericks lost their playoffs opener against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, falling 99-93 in the absence of Luka Doncic. It was a rather heartbreaking defeat considering the small margin, and Spencer Dinwiddie couldn't help but blame himself.

After all, Dinwiddie missed six of his 16 free throws–a number that could have them closer to the Jazz in the contest. He finished with 22 points on top of four rebounds and eight assists, but in the end, they failed to get the job done.

“We had a chance to win the game and we didn’t do it,” Dinwiddie said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Article Continues Below
More Dallas Mavericks News
Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell (1) drives to the basket past Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (13) during the second half at the American Airlines Center.
Mavericks rumors: The Chris Paul reason D’Angelo Russell is such a priorityJackson Stone ·
Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell (1) drives to the basket past Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (13) during the second half at the American Airlines Center.
Mavericks rumors: Dallas the ‘overwhelming favorite’ to sign D’Angelo RussellPreston Byers ·
mavericks, mavericks free agency, dennis schroder
1 sneaky good player Dallas Mavericks must sign in 2025 NBA free agencyGarrett Kerman ·
NBA great Kevin Garnett is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Kevin Garnett’s hyped reaction to looming Bronny James-Cooper Flagg showdownAbdullah Imran ·
Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) dribbles the ball against the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center.
Will Cooper Flagg be Mavericks’ point guard until Kyrie Irving returns from injury?Joey Mistretta ·
Mavericks Luka Doncic on left, Mavericks Cooper Flagg on right, stop light in the middle on red.
Why the Cooper Flagg-Luka Doncic comparisons must come to an endJoey Mistretta ·

Despite the defeat and his rather poor performance, though, Spencer Dinwiddie saw some silver-lining in the game. They were able to compete with the Jazz throughout and even looked like a better team at times, particularly in the first quarter.

For the Mavs guard, that is an encouraging sign since they need to show they can win without Luka Doncic.

The Slovenian superstar is still day-to-day with the calf strain he sustained in the final game of the regular season, so it is still unknown if he'll be able to suit up in Game 2. If not, at least the Mavs have something to build upon from their performance in the opener of their series.

Hopefully, though, Luka returns sooner rather than later. If Dallas can keep up with Utah even in the absence of Doncic, imagine what they can do if he's on the floor heading the offense.