Here we go!
Monday night has the potential to ultimately shape the remainder of Utah's season — and because of that, it's far and away the biggest game of the year.
A potential playoff preview? Check
A battle for an elusive all-NBA spot? Check
Massive postseason implications? Check
Almost everything is on the line when Utah ends its five-game road trip in Dallas against Luka Doncic and the Mavericks. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. MST.
"I feel like everybody knows this is somebody we will probably see in the playoffs, so just preparing for that. … But also, we kind of know what can happen if we do win this game," Trent Forrest said.
Currently sitting in the No. 4 spot of the Western Conference, Forrest is correct when he says the Jazz know what can happen if they win this game.
Already with two victories over the Mavericks this season, a win on Monday night would be a massive step in locking up homecourt advantage for the opening round of the playoffs — ironically enough, probably against fifth-seeded Dallas.
Utah is currently two games ahead of the Mavericks in the loss column, and a victory would put them three up with 18 games to go and clinch the season series. This would mean the tiebreaker goes to the Jazz, putting them essentially four games up over Dallas.
In a much broader sense, Monday's showdown is enormous for the entire playoff picture in the Western Conference.
Phoenix currently has the No. 1 seed on lock with an eight-game lead over the No. 2 Warriors and No. 3 Grizzlies. But just five games separate Golden State and No. 6 Denver, a team lurking in the shadows capable of making a late push with MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic leading the way.
Utah sits just 2.5 games behind slumping Golden State (two in the loss column), so a victory would further strengthen their chances of getting the No. 2 seed.
Regardless of where the Jazz end up, they're a team that's not afraid to go on the road and play anybody — and that's what they'll look to prove Monday night.
"Obviously, we'd like to get the best seed as possible, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter for us," Mike Conley said. "We feel like we can match up with anybody playing our best basketball."
STATSUtah (40-23, 18-13 away / No. 4 Western Conference)Offense*113.8 Points Per Game (No. 6 in NBA)*115.9 Offensive Rating (No. 1 in NBA)
Defense*107.6 Points Per Game (No. 11 in NBA)*109.8 Defensive Rating (No. 13 in NBA)
*Donovan Mitchell: 25.8 points / 5.3 assists / 4.0 rebounds / 1.6 steals*Rudy Gobert: 15.7 points / 14.8 rebounds / 2.2 blocks / 71.1% shooting *Bojan Bogdanovic: 17.8 points / 4.3 rebounds / 38.3% 3P-shooting*Mike Conley: 13.6 points / 5.3 assists / 40.3% 3P-shooting
Dallas (39-25, 22-11 home / No. 5 Western Conference)Offense*107.1 Points Per Game (No. 24 in NBA)*111.3 Offensive Rating (No. 15 in NBA)
Defense*103.7 Points Per Game (No. 2 in NBA)*107.8 Defensive Rating (No. 6 in NBA)
*Luka Doncic: 27.8 points / 8.8 assists / 9.2 rebounds*Spencer Dinwiddie: 17.6 points / 5.1 assists / 41.4% 3P-shooting*Dorian Finney-Smith: 10.5 points / 4.9 rebounds / 38.4% 3P-shooting
MATCHUP TO WATCH*Mike Conley vs. Spencer Dinwiddie— It will come as no surprise that great performances will be expected of both Donovan Mitchell and Luka Doncic. But as with the case with big games, sometimes it’s the more unheralded players that make the biggest difference. Mike Conley is rested and will be called upon a lot when going up against one of the top defenses in the league. And with Jalen Brunson out, Spencer Dinwiddie should play a bigger role offensively to take the pressure off Doncic.
INJURY REPORTUtahQUESTIONABLE — Rudy Gobert (left calf soreness)
DallasAVAILABLE — Luka Doncic (left toe sprain)AVAILABLE — Maxi Kleber (right ankle soreness)OUT — Marquese Chriss (right knee soreness)OUT — Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery)OUT — Theo Pinson (right fifth finger fracture)OUT — Jalen Brunson (right foot contusion)
BROADCAST INFORMATIONTime: 6:30 p.m. MSTLocation: American Airlines Center / Dallas, TXTV: AT&T SportsNetRadio: 1280 The Zone