Mavs Moneyball - Gameday: Dallas Mavericks vs. Utah JazzRick Carlisle approved.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50869/mmb-fav.png2017-01-20T22:59:05-06:00http://www.mavsmoneyball.com/rss/stream/140975952017-01-20T22:59:05-06:002017-01-20T22:59:05-06:00Barea out “weeks not days” with left calf injury
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<img alt="NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k_5LvxdEvBp-5L585XSox06MN_w=/0x0:4427x2951/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52853951/usa_today_9811969.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The injury bug strikes again for J.J., who can’t seem to stay healthy.</p> <p id="zhn8N6">Per Rick Carlisle in his postgame comments, <a href="https://twitter.com/EarlKSneed/status/822664787607879681">J.J. Barea will be out “weeks, not days” </a>with a left calf strain. The new injury is to the same calf he injured before, but a different area. </p>
<p id="goelBa">Barea has had the injury bug badly this season. His injury in November this season appeared to be an Achilles injury when it happened, but somewhat fortunately was only a muscle tear. That injury was still significant enough to keep him out for about a month and a half. The past several games have seen Barea ramp up from a minutes restriction as he worked his way back into game shape from that injury. </p>
<p id="DfqPMA">I was surprised to see Barea playing in tonight’s game, the second night of a back to back, but he had been tolerating the buildup well and seemed to be playing well up until the end of the game, when he appeared to suffer another non-contact injury. </p>
<p id="SFGD3E">In any other season, this would be a devastating loss for the Mavs, who as a whole have had more than their fair share of injuries between Barea, Dirk, Bogut, Williams, and a few other players out games here and there with more minor issues. For the few games the team has been able to play together and relatively healthy, they’ve been fun and we’ve had glimpses of a team that could have been. </p>
<p id="qzmC1A">If you want a silver lining to any of this, it’s that these injuries have certainly opened the door for younger talent to get serious exposure, and for a team where the rebuild for better or worse is beginning this season, that’s not a bad thing.</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/1/20/14344182/mavericks-barea-out-weeks-not-days-with-left-calf-injury-vs-jazzRebecca Lawson2017-01-20T22:28:02-06:002017-01-20T22:28:02-06:004 things we learned as Mavs lose to Jazz in OT, 107-112
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<img alt="NBA: Utah Jazz at Dallas Mavericks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4pdT-jT47izmQVnv0lPz1K7OR9g=/0x0:3133x2089/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52853777/usa_today_9826398.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Gutsy basketball ft ... well loss I guess</p> <p id="vM4Apt">Please be okay J.J. Please.</p>
<p id="Uo5hJJ">Other than that really disappointing moment in the last minute, this was so unexpectedly uplifting—and then all the refs ignored a <span>Rick Carlisle</span> timeout and the game went to overtime. Sorta downhill after that. </p>
<p id="hGChl8">Still, ugly basketball can be a lot of fun sometimes, especially when you just really need an escape from real life. And this didn’t end up be as ugly as it seemed like it might be after a quarter. (chanting “not talking about the refs not talking about the refs not talking about the refs not talking about the refs.”)</p>
<p id="tBNF3F">Okay let’s do this.</p>
<h4 id="fmzDoi">These Mavs are gritty as hell</h4>
<p id="QroLCc">Look, you’re not going to catch me saying that these <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a> are a good basketball team. But they’re nothing to sneeze at anymore. I’m starting to think these guys can hang with most other teams in the NBA. They sure as hell hung with the <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Jazz</a> tonight.</p>
<p id="19BO9u">Dallas stayed within 5 points of Utah pretty much the entire game. The Jazz are a tough team, and it was a lot of fun seeing the Mavs play this feisty, kinda ugly game. By the time we got to the end of the fourth, I was actually pretty sure Dallas was going to win. I’m really frustrated that completely imploded in the most frustrating way ever, but still, kudos to the team for this game. Hard fought, impressive effort. Not their fault the .... oh yeah, I’m not talking about the refs. Moving on.</p>
<h4 id="a15QbJ">Ow ow my heart, it hurts</h4>
<p id="9M4u7f">Dirk had a baaaad night, and I don’t like it. Even with his well-deserved near-max contract, the big German couldn’t buy a bucket tonight. There was one horrible cringe-worthy point early in the fourth when Dirk missed a point blank layup, got the rebound, missed the layup again, rebounded again, and missed the layup again. I nearly cried.</p>
<p id="2e8yym">8.3 percent field goal percentage. Is that...... bad?</p>
<p id="whWn1s">Dirk has been playing increasingly well since coming back from injury, and I’m not worried about one cold shooting performance. And our beloved hero had 10 rebounds, so he wasn’t a complete liability out there tonight. Put this one behind you, dear sir.</p>
<h4 id="NVeLYV">That bench tho</h4>
<p id="xjdtTb">Devin Harris. Jose Juan Barea. Dwight Powell. Dorian Finney-Smith.</p>
<p id="rf4fbB">Heroes, the lot of ‘em. These boys kicked some ass tonight. Devin got the party started when he finished the first quarter off by single-handedly reeling off an 8-0 run. Barea and Powell joined in on the fun in the second half, followed shortly by the increasingly common solid play by DFS.</p>
<p id="cLvNB1">Everyone saw that Barea-Anderson alley oop right? Go look it up if you missed, that ish was dope.</p>
<p id="8uV90w">I’m maybe most impressed by how well-rounded this performance was. Bad nights, relatively speaking, by the Mavs’ two stars didn’t stop Dallas from being in this the entire time. 7 players in double figures. Team effort. Love it.</p>
<h4 id="a9j92T">Big picture</h4>
<p id="efbgRe">As someone who is on the record as #teamtank for the remainder of the season, I guess this is a good outcome. HOWEVER—this is the problem with that philosophy. I <strong>know</strong> that the best thing, long term, is for Dallas to get a great draft pick. But dammit if it didn’t hurt to see an impressive win slip through the Mavs’ fingers. I was rooting so hard for my guys to win this. They worked so hard, and most of this game was just so entertaining.</p>
<p id="jTAqRN">Our Mavs deserved a win tonight. Big picture, a win isn’t what the organization needs. But in my deep blue MFFL heart, I can’t help but want to see our team succeed, in each moment, game, and season. This season is weird and hard. Sorta fits the times I suppose.</p>
<p id="LM6lao">But for everyone like me shouting that the Mavs need to lose lose lose, just remember tonight. Remember shouting for Dwight Powell’s late game heroics. </p>
<p id="oos0n2">And now we’re on to the next one. Have a great weekend folks!</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2017/1/20/14343732/4-things-we-learned-mavericks-jazz-final-score-112-107-otBailey Grey2017-01-20T07:00:03-06:002017-01-20T07:00:03-06:003 things to watch for as the Mavs host the Jazz
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<img alt="NBA: Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dsLA1Eh9ZGeTLU5GBenyPe9aSNE=/0x0:2466x1644/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52837501/usa_today_9750217.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>I predict a loss, which probably means they’ll win.</p> <p id="8GZpYV">The see-saw <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a> went back down again (or is it better to be down when you’re on a see-saw? Who knows) Thursday in a season that is apparently answering the question of "are you tanking or are you competing for the playoffs" with "neither."</p>
<h4 id="fPiCPB">Mavs slide coming?</h4>
<p id="sORXD3">After a disappointing loss in Miami, the Mavericks draw a tough Utah team on the second night of a back-to-back. They somehow continue to manage to be a few games out of the 8th playoff spot in the West, while also only being a few games from last place in the West. A three game win streak seemed to give some hope of a return to respectability, but an 0-fer in the back-to-back that concludes Friday against Utah could set them up for a tumble, as they won’t play a team that currently has a worse record until -- surprise — they face Miami again February 27th.</p>
<h4 id="tSySkC">No Hood? Good!</h4>
<p id="F88If1"><span>Rodney Hood</span> has been a thorn in the side of the Mavs of late. He scored 22 points for Utah in the two teams first meeting this season, after torching Dallas for 29 last season. Unfortunately for the <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Jazz</a>, he injured his Knee Saturday against Orlando and will apparently miss about two weeks.</p>
<p id="XFMmQu">Of course, Utah still has plenty of firepower, with a pair of two possible All-Stars in <span>Gordon Hayward</span> and <span>Rudy Gobert</span>, as well as longtime Mav-killers George Hil and <span>Derrick Favors</span>.</p>
<h4 id="RqCJP7">Don’t expect a track meet</h4>
<p id="NU09TF">Care to guess who the two slowest paced teams in the league are? Yes, the Mavs and Jazz. Utah has been in a bit of a groove offensively as of late, scoring 100 or more in four straight and 110+ twice over that span. But the Jazz have a way of slooowing things down and kind of just choking the life out of you with a stifling defense and bruising interior play. Dallas will surely milk the clock in looking for the best shot, as is their custom, but against a defense like Utah’s they may be better off taking any good look they can find, no matter how early.</p>
<h4 id="ij3m8V">How to watch</h4>
<p id="QbD3Qp">Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 Eastern Time, 7:30 Central, on Fox Sports Southwest or your League Pass account. Enjoy!</p>
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/game-coverage/2017/1/20/14332918/dallas-mavericks-utah-jazz-game-preview-time-channelIan_Miller