Dallas and Utah are two teams having very similar seasons, and on Thursday, they’ll face off as two teams playing the second game of a back-to-back. They’ve played twice already so far this season, and Utah has been victorious in both games. This will be the first game where Dallas will play host, but it seems like they may have to do so without star rookie Cooper Flagg, who left Wednesday’s game against the Denver Nuggets with a sprained ankle.
Rock fight
The Jazz, already without Walker Kessler, may also be missing Lauri Markkanen, who didn’t play in his team’s loss against the Bulls Wednesday due to illness. So, to recap, that’s a Dallas team without Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and likely Cooper Flagg, versus a Jazz team missing Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler. Dallas will at least have the benefit of playing at home, where they’ve managed to play .500 ball. It’s the road where this team has really seemed to fall apart.
Expect the unexpected
This game may get ugly. Very ugly. Unspeakably hideous basketball. Sure. But there’s always a chance something crazy might happen. It’s like when a team switches coaches mid-way through the season. Even if they’ve been playing like trash all year, they always seem to get that new coach bump. Running plays opponents aren’t expecting. Lineups and rotations that have never seen the floor together before. Well, we might see some of that from both sides.
Against the Bulls, a bench player averaging 10 points a game, exploded for 42! If there’s a pet player or a project you’ve been wanting to watch get some burn, this is the game to tune in for. Jaden Hardy fans, Miles Kelly acolytes, Moussa Cisse believers, now is your time!
Eyes on the balls
NBA insider Marc Stein has recently reported that Dallas’ (legally unstatable) goal for this season is “getting the highest possible pick in the June draft.” A good plan, as this is the last of their own picks in their possession until 2031. Utah, though, is a fellow traveler, and has even higher stakes for their pick this season. It is a protected pick, one-through-eight. Any higher than eight, and they’ll have to send it to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Just half a game separates these two in the unspoken standings. We’ll see who’se more serious about maximizing ping pong over basketball. It’s a Marty Supreme-off.
