If the Jazz lose this first-round series to a Dallas club that’s playing without Luka Donu010diu0107—a loss that would likely bring about a significant shakeup in Utah—they’ll likely look back at Monday’s Game 2 defeat as the night that it all came apart.
Just in case starting point guard Mike Conley’s scoreless, 0-of-7 showing in 22 minutes wasn’t startling enough, the Jazz surrendered a 41-point, five-assist, zero-turnover showing to 6'1" Mavs guard Jalen Brunson in the 110–104 defeat, which evened the series at 1–1. No one—not Luka, not Dirk—in Mavs history had ever posted a 40-point, zero-turnover game in the playoffs before that.