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The Dallas Mavericks host the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of this Western Conference playoff series. What could've been an exciting matchup has been dampened by the calf strain of Luka Doncic. Dallas hasn't officially ruled Doncic out, but recent reports suggest he could miss at least the first game, and potentially the second game of this series as well.  

With Doncic's status up in the air, the Jazz will certainly try to capitalize on that. Led by All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Rudy Gobert, Utah has the firepower to steamroll the Mavericks. Ahead of Game 1 on Saturday, here's everything you need to know before the Mavericks and Jazz tip off.

(4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (5) Utah Jazz

  • When: Saturday, April 15 | 1 p.m. ET
  • Where: American Airlines Center -- Dallas, Texas
  • TV: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
  • Odds: UTA -210; DAL +175; O/U 209.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)

Storylines

Mavericks: Dallas may be without Doncic for Game 1, but he hasn't been officially ruled out. If he doesn't play, that means Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie will need to step up to make up for his absence. There isn't one player on this roster who can make up for not having Doncic out there, but Dinwiddie and Brunson could do enough to make things difficult for Utah's defense. It will also come down to which version of Dallas' defense shows up. At one point in the season the Mavericks had the top-ranked defense in the league, but they're entering the playoffs having played average -- and sometimes bad -- defense over the last month. That won't work against a Utah offense that has been the best in the NBA all season long.  

Jazz: Utah has the clear advantage in this first game if Doncic is indeed out. The Jazz have an unforgiving defense and enough offensive weapons to bother Dallas. But can they capitalize on that? Utah ranks 20th in the league in clutch win percentage (.438), which has cost them several games down the stretch. If that iteration of the Jazz show up, it will surely burn them against a Mavericks team that doesn't quit. Utah is great at building up early leads, but it struggles at holding onto them. This is where Mitchell needs to assert himself so that the Jazz don't give the Mavs hope.  

Prediction

I just don't see the Mavericks winning this game if Doncic is out. Even if he does play I don't think he'll be 100 percent healthy. I also think the Jazz will want to make a statement on the road in this first game to show everyone that the regular season issues they dealt with weren't that big of a deal. I expect Mitchell to have a big game, and for the Mavericks to not have much of an answer for Gobert. Pick: Jazz -5