Jazz close out Mavericks to end 5-game losing skid
Lauri Markkanen scored 33 points and the Utah Jazz closed on a 16-7 run to beat the Dallas Mavericks 116-114 on Thursday in Salt Lake City.
Keyonte George had 19 points and seven assists for Utah, which snapped a five-game losing streak. Brice Sensabaugh scored 14 points, Walter Clayton Jr. added 12, and Kevin Love had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Cooper Flagg led the Mavericks with 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Klay Thompson scored 23 points, Anthony Davis added 21 points and 11 rebounds, Naji Marshall had 17 points, and Max Christie chipped in 16.
Dallas moved ahead 107-100 with 4:39 remaining after Christie drilled a 3-pointer to cap a 9-0 run, but Utah answered with a 16-4 run to move ahead 116-111 with 29 seconds left.
Christie missed a 3-pointer and Flagg committed a turnover with 13 seconds left before Marshall hit a 3-pointer with one second left for the final margin.
Markkanen was 14-of-26 shooting with seven rebounds and four assists for Utah, which has won its first two meetings against Dallas this season.
The Mavericks committed 20 turnovers and lost for the fifth time in their last seven games.
Utah led 34-29 at the end of the opening quarter after shooting 57.7% from the field and scoring 24 points in the paint.
Markkanen's dunk extended Utah's lead to 53-39 with 3:45 left in the second quarter before Dallas closed on a 16-5 run to cut the deficit to 58-55 at halftime.
Markkanen had 15 points in the half for the Jazz, while Flagg had 14 to lead the Mavericks.
The pace quickened in the third quarter, when Dallas outscored the Jazz 34-30 to move ahead 89-88 at the end of the period.
Marshall scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, which featured 10 ties and 14 lead changes.
Utah played without Jusuf Nurkic (toe) and Ace Bailey (hip). Dallas guard Brandon Williams exited in the second quarter due to illness, and forward P.J. Washington missed his second straight with a right ankle sprain.

