On Saturday, the Utah Jazz bounced back from a forgettable loss to defeat the Dallas Mavericks 100-99. In Game 4, the Mavs were a different team, of sorts, with star Luka Doncic back in the saddle for his team.
With the Mavs entering the matchup with a 2-1 series lead, the Jazz did not go quietly into that good night. Utah battled back from an early deficit to claim a 12-point lead entering the half.
From there, the Jazz faded as Doncic led the Mavs back to take the lead in the second half. Although Utah prevailed with heroic clutch performances from Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the biggest difference-maker for the home team in Game 4 was Jordan Clarkson.
The NBA's reigning Sixth Man of the Year finished Game 4 with a team-high 25 points, four rebounds, and a steal. Clarkson went 3-for-5 from three-point land, and overall, served as the constant glue that kept the Jazz in it throughout.
Clarkson was so good, Dwyane Wade had to give the man his props after the final buzzer. A job well done.
After the game, Vivint Arena was electric and stars like Gobert fed on that energy. With whispers and rumors of bad energy pervading Utah's locker room and naysayers doubting the Jazz, Gobert threw a wet blanket on the slander with a four-letter expletive on live television.
"F--- the talk," Gobert said courtside. "We're just trying to be the best team we can be. We're trying to enjoy the moment and whatever happens, happens."
Gobert slammed home the game-winning dunk on an alley-oop from Mitchell but, again, without Clarkson's consistent production, and reliable play, Doncic likely leads the Mavs out of Salt Lake City with a 3-1 lead in the series.
Now, the Jazz will take flight back to Dallas for Game 5 with the series all tied up. Can you sense that in the air?
It almost feels like momentum. Time will tell.
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