Dallas @ Utah preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 14, 2018 ) Utah 68, Dallas 118

Star rookie Luka Doncic likely will miss his second straight game with a right ankle injury when the Dallas Mavericks visit the Utah Jazz on Saturday. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was non-committal when asked about Doncic's status for the meeting with the Jazz, who have won five straight home games in the all-time series.

Doncic, who averages 20.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists, missed his third game of the season when Dallas dropped a 114-104 home decision to Denver on Friday. The Mavericks have dropped three straight contests and will be offensively challenged if they don't have Doncic, who has recorded three triple-doubles in his last 11 appearances. The Jazz have lost their last two games and will be looking to bounce back from an intense 148-147 double-overtime road setback against Oklahoma City on Friday. "Eventually, your execution, no matter how hard you're competing, you have to be able to execute," Utah coach Quin Snyder said in a postgame television interview. "We had some possessions where we didn't, and those cost you. The margin for error isn't that great."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Dallas), AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Utah)

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (26-32): Carlisle was discouraged by his squad's play against the Nuggets as Dallas shot just 40.5 percent from the field - including 10-for-41 from 3-point range - and was dominated by a 63-42 count on the boards. "We have to rebound better and get more stops, and that will help our offense," Carlisle told reporters after Friday's game. "Our execution can always be better, even when it's good." Rookie guard Jalen Brunson took advantage of Doncic's absence to score a season-best 22 points in 31 minutes against Denver.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (32-26): Utah has zero time to rest on the second end of the back-to-back set after a high-energy, 58-minute contest against the Thunder, and the players know it will be hard to rebound against the Mavericks but also are aware that is part of life in the NBA. "We have to ignore it and move on," star guard Donovan Mitchell told reporters. "I think you have to accept the fact that you're going to be tired. ... They are going to be feeding off that, but we've got to be ready." Mitchell poured in 38 points to exceed 20 for the fifth straight game and 18th in his last 19 contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Jazz have won two of this season's three meetings, but Dallas' victory was a 118-68 pounding on Nov. 14.

2. Mavericks PF Dwight Powell scored a season-best 20 points against Denver and has reached double digits in five of his last six games.

3. Utah C Rudy Gobert scored a season-best 26 points and collected 16 rebounds on Friday for his sixth straight double-double.

PREDICTION: Jazz 105, Mavericks 99