DALLAS — Luka Doncic brought his popcorn, but the Mavericks didn’t close out the show.
Dallas lost, 99-93, to the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of its first-round playoff series Saturday afternoon, falling just short of a double-digit comeback with their clutch superstar watching from the sideline with a gimpy left calf.
In the last few minutes, it appeared as if the calf strain Doncic suffered in the regular-season finale might not have impacted his ability to impart Luka Magic down the stretch.
Reggie Bullock swished a 3-pointer with 3:33 remaining to cut the Mavericks’ deficit — which had reached 12 points earlier in the second half — to two points (88-86) and a couple possessions later, Maxi Kleber drilled a corner 3 to pull within one point (92-91).
But then two of the factors coach Jason Kidd cautioned his team against most — the Jazz’s offensive rebounding and 3-point prowess — proved fateful.
Jazz forward Royce O’Neal missed first a layup attempt, but gathered his own rebound and kicked the ball out to extend the possession. Moments later, Utah’s All-Star guard, Donovan Mitchell, passed back to O’Neal in the far corner for the decisive 3-pointer.
Doncic watched from the other end of the court.
In Doncic’s absence, Jalen Brunson led the Mavs with 24 points and seven rebounds, while Spencer Dinwiddie added 22 points and eight assists. Bullock (15 points, 3 for 8 from 3) and Dorian Finney-Smith (14 points, 2 for 5 from 3) combined for 29 points and five 3-pointers while serving as the primary defenders against the Jazz’s All-Star duo of Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert.
Dallas led the NBA with 17 double-digit comeback wins this season, but they didn’t finish their first opportunity in the playoffs against a Jazz team notorious for blowing late leads.
The Mavericks have now lost six consecutive home playoff games over the last seven years — including four in the last calendar year.
Will Monday’s Game 2 prove different?
Doncic’s status may not change.
Though missing the first playoff game of his NBA career, Doncic was easy to spot.
He walked in after pregame introductions, wearing a black, neon-printed Barrow hoodie and sweats and chewing bubble gum.
He ate from a cup of popcorn midway through the first quarter and washed it down with a Biosteel drink.
He moved seats between timeouts, sometimes settling next to coaches and other times down the bench with reserve teammates.
He stood with the Mavericks’ energetic reserve squad to cheer for good shots and defensive stands and made sure officials knew when he didn’t agree with their calls, or lack thereof.
After one no-call on a Brunson layup attempt in traffic, Doncic walked so far down the baseline in an effort to get officials’ attention that one whistled for Kidd’s attention to tell his superstar to stand back.
Doncic didn’t appear to limp or show noticeable difference in his gait, but major uncertainty around his availability for Game 2 Monday night — eight days after he planted his left leg wrong in the April 10 regular-season finale — remains.
“First step is to see how he feels today from what he did yesterday,” Kidd said of whether Doncic could return to basketball activity Sunday in practice. “I’ve said this all week: He’s been in a good place. His spirit has been great, smiling, laughing and doing the stuff that he’s supposed to to get prepared and hopefully play in this series. But we won’t know [until we] see how he feels.”
In stretches early Saturday, the Mavericks appeared poised to overcome their superstar’s absence.
Brunson and Dinwiddie generated the offense’s drive-and-pass “blender,” while Finney-Smith shadowed Mitchell and Bullock helped stymie Utah’s looks in the paint to negate the All-Star Jazz duo’s impact.
Mitchell and Gobert finished the first quarter with a combined for two points (off two Gobert free throws) on 0-of-6 shooting from the floor as the Mavericks opened a 23-20 lead. A few minutes later, Dallas pushed the advantage to nine points after a Dwight Powell put-back dunk and a pair of Brunson free throws.
The Mavericks led 41-32 with 3:34 remaining in the first half.
Then came time for the healthy All-Stars to play, well, like All-Stars.
Utah closed the second quarter on a 13-2 run, including two 3-pointers after missing the first nine.
Dallas trailed by just two points (45-43) at halftime — perhaps a Doncic-less result they would’ve appreciated prior to their early control — but Mitchell quickly added cushion.
After a two-point 1-for-9 showing in the first half, Mitchell tallied 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the third quarter. He attacked the rim and showed a new level of burst while the Mavericks’ offense stalled.
Utah’s lead crept from two points. To six. To nine. And up to 12 with 2:37 remaining in the period.
Kidd tried jumbo lineups. Ultra-small ball. One point-guard lineups and Brunson-Dinwiddie combos.
But The Mavericks’ best strategy in their NBA-best 17 double-digit comeback wins this regular season — to cook up some Luka Magic — wasn’t an option this time.
