The Dallas Mavericks fell heartbreakingly to the Utah Jazz tonight, losing 114-116. To make things worse, the team lost All-Star big man Anthony Davis late in the fourth, whose defensive presence could’ve prevented the Jazz from scoring several key buckets. After the game, head coach Jason Kidd addressed the matter directly.

“He felt like he was fine,” Kidd told reporters after being asked about what happened between him and Davis. “We come back down, I’m yelling, ‘Take a foul.’ We didn’t take a foul. [Lauri Markkanen] gets a layup, and then we have to take a timeout.”

Kidd pointed directly to the decision-making around Anthony Davis, explaining that the problem was two-pronged: keeping Davis on the floor, while also failing to stop the play by intentionally fouling Markkanen, which would’ve forced the Jazz to run a sideline out-of-bounds play while the defense was set.

Davis was injured on a drive from Markkanen late in the fourth, where the two collided, seemingly jamming his finger. After the timeout, Davis was doubled over in pain in the tunnel as he left for the locker room with just over two minutes left, and didn’t return for the rest of the night.

“I trust my teammates, my guys,” Kidd told reporters. “So those guys, as a coach, they said it was fine, and I thought it was fine.”

Davis finished the game with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists, and the Mavericks fell to 14-24 for the season. With injuries mounting and Davis trying his best to push through the pain, the margin for error has disappeared.

Against the Jazz, that split second delay shaped by Davis’ injury turned a manageable situation into a dagger, and Kidd knew it was something the Mavs couldn’t afford.

A notable instance such as this Jazz game occurred on November 24, 2025, in a 106-102 loss to the Miami Heat. Dallas rallied from a 13-point deficit to tie the game at 102 in the final minute, but P.J. Washington committed a costly turnover, followed by missed game-tying/winning three-pointers.

This marked another clutch failure in late-game decision-making and execution, part of Dallas’ league-leading volume of close games (15+ clutch situations early in the season).

The Mavericks’ ongoing issues with turnovers (20+ in multiple games, including the Jazz loss) and clutch losses (12-17 in clutch games) highlight a recurring trend under Kidd, where leads evaporate due to poor late-game management.

Utah Jazz’s Late Run and Anthony Davis Exposes Dallas Mavericks’ Execution Issues

Lauri Markkanen delivered when it mattered most. The Finnish forward poured 33 points for the Jazz, who erased a late lead by finishing the night on a 16-7 run to steal the win against the Dallas Mavericks tonight.

He finished 14-26 from the field with seven rebounds and four assists, punishing the Mavs forwards down the stretch while helping the team break a five-game losing streak.

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The Mavs appeared to be in control late. Max Christie capped off a 9-0 run with a three, pushing the Mavs’ lead to seven with under five minutes to go, but everything quickly unraveled.

The Jazz started a late run to go up 116-111 with just under 30 seconds left, and in the final possessions, Christie missed a deep three, and Cooper Flagg turned the ball over. By the time Naji Marshall buried a buzzer-beating three, it was too little, too late.

This loss stung because of the strong individual performances across the board from the Mavs. Flagg scored 26 points, logging 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Apart from Davis, Klay Thompson also turned back the clock, adding 23 points, while Marshall scored 15 of his 17 in the second half. Unfortunately, 20 turnovers led to their downfall, and the Mavs fell to five in their last seven.