Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks NBA Cup preview, Digi Mart USA News (Dallas, Texas): The Utah Jazz remain winless in November and are on the cusp of a six-game losing streak. The team is shooting 27.6% on wide-open threes and has been trailing near the bottom of nearly every statistical category.
Still, the NBA Cup could provide a spark. The Dallas Mavericks host the Jazz at the American Airlines Center in an Emirates NBA Cup West Group A matchup.
Dallas already holds a 1-0 advantage in the Cup standings after a 116-111 victory over the Rockets last week.
The NBA Cup has not been kind to Utah since its inception. Over the past few years, the Jazz have posted records of 2-2 in 2023-24, 0-4 in 2024-25 and 1-3 in 2025-26.
The team has also battled injuries, been part of two overtime games and endured some of its worst shooting stretches in years.
Dallas has been built around the pairing of Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving and is 4-4 on the season. The Mavericks play a fast style, ranking among the league leaders in pace and fast-break points.
Utah allowed an unanswered 12-0 run by New Orleans in overtime two days earlier, with the damage coming inside the arc. Limiting Flagg in the paint will be a priority.
In two career matchups against Utah, Flagg has averaged 34.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists, although the Jazz have won both games. He has shot 7-of-33 from three-point range this season and converts 55.9% of his two-point attempts, so forcing him into longer shots could help.
Darryn Peterson has started and averages 30.3 minutes per game, but he is shooting 35.4% from the field. Coach Will Hardy’s pass-and-cut offense uses him to stretch the defense, and his floater has been inconsistent.
Lauri Markkanen is averaging 17.1 points per game and shooting 38.7% from the field while attempting 8.3 threes per game, and he has been playing through wrist issues. Hardy said of Markkanen on Wednesday: “I think he’s playing through a lot of pain right now.
I think he’s really battling for his teammates and us.”
The game starts at 7:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.
It can be seen on KJZZ, Jazz+ in market or NBA League Pass out of market.
