Mavericks Keep Jazz Winless, 110-102: 3 Key Takeaways

The talk after the game was all about second-year player Taylor Hendricks. The 2023 lottery pick suffered a fractured right fibula and dislocated ankle, per ESPN. 

Hendricks had to be transported off the court on a stretcher. Hendricks’ teammates were visibly emotional after the incident. 

Hendricks earned a starting position for the new season in the Jazz's rebuilding year. The Jazz need a player who can defend the opponent's best offensive player, and Hendricks has been asked to play that role. It’s really unfortunate for a player who was positioned to get plenty of developmental minutes in his sophomore season with Utah.

Keynonte George’s Efficiency Issues Continue

This has been par for the course for George this year. George started the game slow, shooting 2-for-9 from the field and missing all four of his three-point shots. George finished the game making five shots on 17 attempts and was 0-for-6 from long distance.

At some point, George needs to knock down more shots. The first-round pick out of Baylor has no problem getting to his spots, but finishing has always been a problem. It's still early in his career, and we can expect the Jazz to continue to be patient in a rebuilding year. George was drafted as a combo guard and it's still unknown on whether his future is at the point or shooting guard position.

Jazz Looking More Alive in the Road

It was apparent that Will Hardy sent a message to his young roster about effort. The Jazz put up much more resistance on the defensive end than their first two losses of the season.

The Mavericks finished the contest, shooting only 28.2% from the field and turned it over 13 times. Even though the Jazz couldn’t turn their efforts into a victory, it was good to see the intensity on the court had picked up. The Mavericks finishing the game with 110 points was Utah’s lowest amount of points they’ve given up this year.

The Jazz have a quick turnaround for their next contest. Next up is a home game with the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. The tip-off is at 7:00 MT.