Dallas defeats Utah 106-94 as Irving scores 30 points and Grimes scores 24

Salt Lake City, Utah – Quentin Grimes scored 24 points and Kyrie Irving scored 30 points to lead the struggling Dallas Mavericks to a 106-94 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

Despite being without Klay Thompson (left foot), Dante Exum (right wrist), and Luka Doncic (right wrist), Dallas maintained a lead throughout the game. Due to illness, Naji Marshall left in the second quarter and never came back.

Without Doncic, the Mavericks have won four of their last five games, led by P.J. Washington, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

In their last eight games, the Jazz have suffered seven defeats. Walker Kessler had 18 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks for Utah, while Lauri Markkanen scored 19 points.

Grimes got out to a fast start with four 3-pointers in the first quarter, giving the Mavericks a 20-point lead.

Mavericks: When Dallas shot 9 for 13 from 3-point range in the first quarter, they made it seem simple, but they struggled when Irving wasn’t playing. The Jazz reduced it to 87-82 after the Mavericks only managed one score in the first 5:15 of the fourth quarter.

Jazz: Utah played with vigor, but even when they were able to create open looks, they were unable to shoot. The Jazz only had 20 assists and shot 35.8% from the field.

With 6:19 remaining, Irving scored a 3-pointer, stole the ball, and helped Grimes lay up to make it 92-82 after watching the Jazz close within five points while he was on a break.

At one point in the first half, Grimes was 0 for 4 on free throws but 5 for 6 on 3-pointers. In the fourth quarter, he made his first free throw, going 1 for 6 from the line and 9 for 16 from the floor with five three-pointers.

The Mavericks play a back-to-back Sunday night in Portland, while Utah hosts the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.