RotoWire – Jeff Edgerton

Jazz Gaming and Mavs Gaming sit comfortably in the top 10 of league standings, so Tuesday’s matchup between the two squads was primed to be one of the marquee games on the Week 10 slate. The Jazz are coming off of a disappointing loss to the Bucks, who finally shut down the Jazz’s streak of wins. The Mavs blew out Grizz Gaming last week and one could argue that they held the momentum going into Tuesday’s battle. The key matchup would focus on two of the league’s best big men, Ria and PeteBeBallin, but Splashy and Sherm would also play huge roles in the outcome of this series. Although the Mavs were able to steal one game, they were unable to overcome the Jazz’s onslaught of production in Game 3. The Jazz took the series, 2-1.

Both teams benefited from the play of their centers early on in Game 1, as the number of second-chance opportunities off the boards gave Splashy and Sherm pivotal scoring opportunities. The two guards came out of the first quarter as the top scorers, but three steals from PeteBeBallin in the frame helped give the Mavs a slight advantage, 18-15. The long-range balls started raining down in the second quarter, with Utah having a slight edge in that category in the half. Splashy and Sherm were dominating almost every possession by either posting up for a three or driving into the paint for an easy basket. The Mavs hit the locker room with a 33-30 lead behind 19 points from Sherm, but the Jazz were the better defensive team over the first 12 minutes.

The Mavs began to run away with things a bit in the third quarter. They led by as much as eight points early in the frame, but the Jazz charged back behind Ria’s Glass Cleaner takeover and inspired play from the rest of the squad. The Jazz threatened to take the lead late in the third, but Sherm stole the ball in the closing seconds and kept the Mavs up by one going into the final quarter. Splashy greened a three right away to give the Jazz their first lead in a while, and despite some key baskets from Sherm, the momentum was on the Jazz’s side. Splashy’s Scoring Machine archetype activated and was burning bright throughout the middle of the fourth, but it was Ria who continued to make key plays on both sides of the ball. With the Jazz up by four, the Mavs took a time out to regroup with 1:48 left. Splash and Dimez exchanged bombs from beyond the arc as both teams stayed close, but Utah found more open spots down the stretch, but then a technical issue paused the game. The pause gave both teams a chance to regroup before the final 47 seconds of play, but the Mavs inexplicably chose not to foul as the clock continued to tick, and despite getting a transition basket to narrow the lead to three, time expired, and the first game went to the Jazz, 72-69. The Jazz prevailed despite committing five more turnovers than their opponent, but Splashy was the big difference-maker in this game, scoring 34 while going seven-of-11 from three-point range. Ria was also a critical component, recording a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double.

The first quarter of Game 2 showcased how evenly matched these two teams were, as they exchanged baskets back and forth and slashed through each other’s defenses with relative ease. That facility was due in large part to increased distribution of the ball to other playmakers and less focus on the two point guards. Ria and PeteBeBallin both had an excellent six minutes and kept their respective teams’ engines humming. Neither team shot particularly well from beyond the arc in the first half, but both Dimez and PeteBeBallin stepped up in a big way while Sherm struggled with his shot. Their efficiency inside 15 feet helped spur the Mavs to a 27-24 lead at the half.

The Mavs could not miss in the early going of the third quarter and were it not for some offensive put-backs by Rai, the Jazz would have faded further behind. Dimez continued to lead the Mavs while Sherm continued to falter, but the Mavs allowed the Jazz to get back into the game, and the third quarter ended with the Mavs leading by four. The gameplay in the frame did not reflect that narrow margin. It seemed apparent that the team with the most offensive boards would come out on top in this game, if not the series. With both teams suffering from ice-cold backcourt shooting, a lot of production was coming from second-chance baskets, and PeteBeBallin was delivering in that category. Splashy did finally heat up, and couldn’t have happened at a better time. He drilled a key three to put the Jazz up by one with two minutes left to play. The tide swung back the Mavs’ way, however. After a basket in the paint by Sherm, the Mavs held a two-point lead and extended it to four after two free throws with three seconds left. While this game could have gone either way, the Mavs were able to split the series with a 59-55 win. Splashy’s contribution of only 20 points represented a severe downtick in the Jazz’s production. While neither team shot very well, the play of both PeteBeBallin and Rai were on point, as they both posted double-doubles. Dimez also had an excellent game for the Mavs with 16 points and five assists.

The Mavs committed a couple of turnovers to begin the game, allowing the Jazz to jump out to an early lead. ByAnyMeansMo and PeteBeBallin were the only two players who gained any traction for the Mavs, as Sherm, Dimez and Spartan failed to score in the first frame. Behind Splashy and Rai, the Jazz held a 16-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. The two teams exchanged baskets throughout much of the second quarter, with neither side gaining a significant advantage. The Jazz were able to control more of the action in the interior, but the Mavs refused to let the game get out of hand. Some sloppy passing by the Mavs allowed the Jazz to creep out to a seven-point lead with a minute left in the half, and that was their lead when the half ended. The Mavs’ deficit was accentuated by a slow start for Sherm, who only scored four points and went two-of-seven from the floor.

The Jazz took off to a 11-6 start over the Mavs early to extend their lead to double-digits, and the Mavs needed to put together a run, lest the game get out of hand. Unfortunately for the Mavs, the Jazz continued to rain down the shots and surged to a 15-point lead the third quarter came to a close. The Jazz held that lead, 49-34 heading into the final frame. The teams stayed even for the first two minutes of the fourth quarter as the Mavs failed to gain any traction against the Jazz, whose defense refused to get them back into it. The Jazz gradually separated themselves as the lead grew to 20 with three minutes left, and the outcome of the series began to crystallize. The Mavs would ultimately succumb to the Jazz, 80-58. Although Ria didn’t record a double-double, he poured in 28 points to lead the team. Splashy bounced back with 25 points.

Jazz Gaming (9-2) will face Grizz Gaming on Friday. Mavs Gaming (9-4) will face the Gen.G Tigers later this week.