DALLAS (AP) - Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz got right back on the winning track.
Mitchell scored 26 points and the Jazz shot 53 percent from the field to beat the Dallas Mavericks 119-112 on Thursday night.
Two nights after a loss to Atlanta ended a nine-game winning streak, Utah moved into a tie with Minnesota for seventh place in the Western Conference playoff race. The Jazz have won 22 of their last 25 games.
“Even if we had lost to Atlanta at the beginning of the year, it’s still the same loss,” Mitchell said. “If we start to think ’Oh, we got to win this because Denver’s chasing us,’ that’s when we start to feel the pressure and make certain mistakes that we wouldn’t have made if we were relaxed enough.”
Mitchell, the only NBA rookie averaging 20 points, scored 14 in the first quarter, when Utah took a 37-34 lead. The Jazz shot 68 percent from the field, and Dallas made 65.
“In the first quarter, both teams shot the ball extremely well,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “They are able to generate those shots with their execution.”
Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said the Mavericks needed to shoot that well.
“Shot making was our deodorant tonight, because defensively we weren’t getting much done,” he said. “It’s a dangerous game to play. I know we can do better.”
All five starters were among the six Utah players scoring in double figures.
Joe Ingles had 18 points and 10 assists, equaling his career high.
“Because he is shooting the ball so well,” Snyder said, “people end up having to go over the screens and he is able to get in the lane. When he does that, he has his eyes out and is looking out for his teammates. He is really doing a good job making the right play.”
Ricky Rubio scored 22 points, Derrick Favors had 19 and Rudy Gobert added 11.
Ingles was 3 for 5 on 3-pointers, and Rubio 4 for 8.
“Ingles is the best 3-point shooter in the league,” Carlisle said, “and we certainly gave him too many looks. Rubio hasn’t been shooting great this year, but he has now had two really good-shooting games against us.”
Dallas’ J.J. Barea had 23 points, including 20 points in the first half. Harrison Barnes added 21 and Yogi Ferrell scored 20 in a reserve role.
A three-point play by Mitchell gave Utah a 37-34 lead after one quarter. The Jazz then scored the first six points in the second quarter and extended their margin to 52-37.
Dallas’ first field goal in the second quarter came with 7:15 left on a slam dunk by Dwight Powell. That started the Mavericks’ 11-0 run, with the last seven points by Barea, to pull to 52-48.
Utah pulled away for a 65-58 halftime lead and extended it to 96-81 after three quarters.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Ingles had seven assists in the first quarter. His only other career double-double had come just 15 days earlier against Indiana. … The Jazz swept all three games of the season series.
Mavericks: Dallas signed former Charlotte Hornets guard Aaron Harrison to a 10-day contract. He scored six points. … Barea was in his 567th game for the Mavericks, breaking a tie with Mark Aguirre for the eighth-most in team history.
MINUTES MILESTONE
Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki passed Kevin Garnett for third place in minutes played in NBA history. Nowitzki’s 25 minutes increased his career total to 50,437.
UP NEXT
Jazz: Visit San Antonio on Friday.
Mavericks: Host Charlotte on Saturday.
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