At 57-57, halftime offered Dallas no lead to protect and no reason for panic. It did offer something more valuable: P.J. Washington had already scored 22 points while Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving had combined for only 6. The Mavericks were even because Washington had made sure a cold start from the stars did not become a hole.
That was the shape of Dallas’ 112-100 victory over Utah on Friday at American Airlines Center. Washington’s first half was not a burst of random shot-making. He made 5 of 6 three-point attempts and all 5 of his free throws, supplying accurate outside shooting while the rest of the Dallas offense struggled to find the same return.
His 22 points supplied the scoring base while the better-known creators were still searching for a rhythm.
The final margin made the night look more comfortable than it felt early. Utah led by as many as 8, and Lauri Markkanen finished with 24 points, all of them on 8 made threes. The Jazz eventually lost for the seventh straight time and fell to 1-8, but that record did not make the opening 24 minutes harmless.
Dallas had to answer a real perimeter threat, and Washington was the player keeping the answer from being “wait for somebody else.”
His first-half production also exposed how narrow Dallas’ outside success was. Washington finished 6 of 10 from three. Every other Maverick combined to shoot 3 of 22 from there, leaving Dallas at 9 of 32 for the game.
Utah scored 45 points on threes to Dallas’ 27. Washington did not solve that problem for the entire roster; he simply made enough of his own attempts to keep it from deciding the game before halftime.
The shift came after the break, when Flagg and Irving began converting the possessions Washington had preserved. Utah moved ahead 60-59 with 10:19 left in the third quarter. At 10:02, Flagg drilled a 25-foot three assisted by Irving, putting Dallas in front 62-60.
The basket was a small play with a large effect: Flagg’s scoring had been quiet before halftime, but his passing and rebounding had already kept him involved. Now the shot finally joined the rest of his game.
A few possessions later, after Utah had taken a 70-68 lead, Flagg made two free throws at 7:30 to tie the score. At 7:01, Irving followed with a 14-foot pull-up that put Dallas ahead 72-70. Those baskets gave Washington some help from the two scorers who had struggled before the break.
Flagg contributed seven assists and ten rebounds alongside 21 points, while Irving scored 12 after halftime and ended with 14. Their improved scoring did not erase Washington’s first-half burden; it made that burden sufficient.
Dallas also refused to let poor three-point shooting dictate every possession. The Mavericks made 30 of 61 two-point attempts for 60 points, compared with Utah’s 42 points on twos. They converted 25 of 31 free throws, while the Jazz went 13 of 14.
