SUMMARY:  A nice win for the Jazz on a back to back in Dallas 113-104

• Big picture to start tonight.  I really like this win.   It isn’t anything that wows you since Dallas is only ok but it was really solid.  It is a win that a really good team gets.  On a back to back against a solid team you execute your plan, you handle their run and the game really wasn’t close. The Jazz were up 13 with 2 minutes left.  That is impressive.  There aren’t that many teams in the NBA that can do that.

• Both of the last two nights have really not been close games. The opponents have made a run and then the Jazz handled it.   This group believed in themselves because of last season but these wins are going to make them believe a bit more.  You can feel a little bit of a strut starting with this group.

• The bench unit was the key to the win today. I like the phrase 3 thru 10 depth.  If you lose your 1 or 2 guys as Houston and New Orleans did it is really hard to win.  There is nothing you can do to replace those type players.  However, when you lose someone between 3 to 10 can you fill the gaps.  The Jazz were without Derrick Favors and the combination of Jae Crowder, Georges Niang and Ekpe Udoh were terrific.   The Jazz were without Alec Burks and the Jazz filled it great with Grayson Allen.  That is 3 thru 10 depth.   For a lot of teams when they lose a player 3 thru 10 all they have is a prayer.  Nice work on roster building by Dennis Lindsey and his crew.

• The Jazz bench tonight Dante Exum, Grayson Allen, Georges Niang and Ekpe Udoh playing with Joe Ingles changed the game twice. From mid way thru the first quarter into the 2^nd they took the Jazz lead to 13 and then in the same span of 3^rd quarter to the 4^th they took over the game.

• Dante Exum’s speed was an incredible asset tonight. At one point they were shading him so much to his left that he went left and beat them to the basket.  Dante still has a lot of items he needs to work on to develop into more than a game changer off the bench, but he has an elite skill that is close to unequalled in the nba.

• Georges Niang feels like this year’s Royce O’Neale. The difference is he might be an offensive find.  Niang last year in G-League took 5 threes a game and made 44%.   In Salt Lake over only 15 games he made 53%.   So far this year he is above 50% from three.  I am not sure this is anywhere near sustainable, but it plays into all the reasons the Jazz liked him.  If he can shoot then teams will have to close on him and Quin Snyder has great faith in his playmaking, defensive reading and passing.   Once teams don’t leave him anymore then that will open up a ton for the Jazz.

• Thabo Sefolosha was available tonight and didn’t play. However, Jae Crowder sprained his ankle late in the game so if he misses time than Thabo will slide into Jae’s role.

• Grayson Allen got his first night in the regular rotation with AB out and had 11 points in 13 minutes. He had a nice drive where he kept his balance well so he could use his athleticism and explode up to the rim and draw a foul.  He had a really pretty play where the Mavericks over played him going off the pick and roll so he took a dribble to his right and hit a three.

• Late in the game the Jazz played a ton of high pick and roll with Rudy Gobert. Gobert would roll to the basket and the ball handler would force DeAndre Jordan to choose the ball handler or Rudy and then the minute he flinched the lob went to Rudy.  One player earlier in the game Jordan decided he wasn’t going to let Rudy dunk and Donovan got an easy layup.  The Jazz had the Mavericks flustered.  Then on the dagger shot the Mavericks brought a third guy into the pick and roll leaving Joe Ingles open and he buried the three to put the game away.  Gorgeous pass from Rubio.   Great basketball from the Jazz.

• Jazz ended with another good defensive night . Dallas is the #1 team in transition.  When the jazz kept them in the halfcourt they couldn’t score.  According to cleaningtheglass.com the Mavericks offensive rating in the halfcourt tonight was 76.7

• Jazz turned it over 9 times in the 2^nd quarter

• Jazz shot 45% of their shots at the rim again. This insane. 74% smart shots tonight for the Jazz

• A Good team win by a good team