Jazz To Host Mavericks In Christmas Nightcap
Dec 24, 2021, 11:19 AM
Utah Jazz home Vivint Arena with a Christmas Ornament statue (Photo: Ben Anderson/KSL Sports)
(Photo: Ben Anderson/KSL Sports)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz are set to host the Dallas Mavericks in the nightcap matchup of the NBA’s Christmas showcase.
The Jazz sit comfortably in the third seed in the Western Conference despite some early-season inconsistencies.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks have been hovering around .500 for the majority of the season due to a series of injuries to top players on their roster, including Luka Doncic who has missed the team’s last five games with a left ankle injury.
As of Friday, the Mavericks had seven players in the league’s COVID protocol, including Doncic extending the Jazz streak of opponents who have been decimated by the pandemic.
Jazz History In Christmas Games
The game will mark the second time the Jazz have appeared on Christmas in the last four seasons, having welcomed the Portland Trail Blazers to town in a 117-96 blowout victory in 2018.
The Jazz are 5-2 all-time in Christmas Day games but hadn’t been highlighted on the platform since 1997 before their battle with the Blazers in 2018.
🎶After all there’s only two more games ‘til Christmas🎶 #TakeNote 🎄🎁 pic.twitter.com/dASJNVyTf2
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 21, 2021
The team also played on Christmas Day in 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, and 1988 with the two losses coming in 1977 when the then New Orleans Jazz lost to the San Antonio Spurs and in 1982 to the Phoenix Suns.
In addition to the Blazers in 2018, the Jazz have recorded wins over the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and the Houston Rockets twice.
Notable Christmas Performances
Terry Furlow had the best individual performance by a Jazz player on Christmas day in the team’s 122-111 win over the Nuggets in 1979, the inaugural season for the roster in Utah.
Furlow matched a previous career-high scoring 37 points on 15-21 shooting to match Nuggets’ Hall of Famer Dan Issel’s 37 point outing.
Other notable performances include Karl Malone’s 31 point, 12 rebound double-double against Magic Johnson’s Lakers in a 101-87 victory in 1988.
The @utahjazz are set to tip-off in the late time slot on Christmas, but the spread of COVID-19 within the NBA could moves the team's game up. (@AP_Sports)#takenote https://t.co/mrtX1otqCs
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 21, 2021
Mark Eaton recorded five blocks in just 18 minutes off the bench in the Jazz 111-101 loss to the Suns in 1982.
“Pistol” Pete Maravich had 19 points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals in the Jazz’s 101-99 victory over the Rockets in 1975, while John Stockton had an efficient 24 points on 10-16 shooting in the Jazz’s 107-103 win over Houston in 1997.
Broadcast
The Jazz and Mavericks are scheduled to tip-off at 8:30 pm MT and can be heard on The Zone Sports Network. The game will be televised on ESPN.
