SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lauri Markkanen scored 29 points, Malik Beasley added 19 and the Utah Jazz took advantage of Dallas star Luka Doncic’s absence to beat the Mavericks 108-100 on Saturday night.
Doncic sat out because of a sprained left ankle.
Jordan Clarkson added 14 points for Utah, and Walker Kessler had 14 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks.
The Jazz rolled out three big men in their starting lineup with great success. Kessler is 7-foot-1, Markkanen stands at 7-foot, and Kelly Olynyk 6-11.
Their presence helped the Jazz go 12-of-18 from the field in the first quarter and shoot 60% from the field overall in the first half. Defensively, Utah finished with a 49-31 advantage on rebounds.
Spencer Dinwiddie had 35 points and eight assists for Dallas. Reggie Bullock had 19 points, and Josh Green and Dorian Finney-Smith chipped in 11 apiece.
After trailing by double digits for much of the game, Dallas cut it to 103-98 on Bullock’s 3-pointer. Markkanen countered with a 3-pointer on the other end to keep the Mavericks from drawing closer and the Jazz held Dallas without a basket over the final 2 1/2 minutes.
With Doncic sidelined and his status still day-to-day, Dinwiddie has emerged as the Mavericks’ primary offensive threat while filling in for the All-Star point guard. He has averaged 35.5 points and 8.5 assists over his past two games – while making 21 total baskets and 11 3-pointers in that stretch.
Dinwiddie’s elevated production highlights a comeback season for the veteran guard. He has started in 50 games for the Mavericks this season and missed only one contest after playing in just three games two seasons ago after tearing his ACL.
His presence offers a steadying influence to a Dallas offense missing its biggest star.