Gobert Jazzes it up with 27 pts, 25 rebs
DALLAS – Rudy Gobert was helping the Utah Jazz even when missing free throws in overtime.
Gobert, who finished with career highs of 27 points and 25 rebounds, missed both of his free throw attempts with 1:50 left. But the second one ricocheted right back to him, and he fed the ball to Joe Johnson for a tying 3-pointer. The Jazz went on to a 112-107 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.
“That was the plan. Coach called it,” Gobert said with a smile.
After a miss by Deron Williams on the ensuing possession and a foul in the aftermath, Joe Ingles put the Jazz ahead to stay by making two free throws with 1: 35 left.
Gobert had seven rebounds in the extra five-minute period, and finished with his 29th consecutive 10-rebound game.
“What I love about Rudy, is he’s trying to win the basketball game and he doesn’t like to lose,” teammate Gordon Hayward said. “He’s got a fire inside of him and it’s definitely something that you can feel when you’re out there.”
Hayward had 26 points, including a big 3- pointer late in regulation. Johnson finished with 15 points.
Harrison Barnes had 19 points for Dallas, which had seven players score in double figures. Williams had 16 points and Seth Curry 15.
Williams had consecutive layups high off the glass in overtime, the last with 1:36 putting the Mavericks up 107-104.
Hayward’s 3-pointer with 1:06 left in regulation had put the Jazz up 96-95, then Gobert had a rebound that led to his layup at the other end for a 98-95 lead with 36 seconds left.
That rebound by Gobert came after a missed 3-pointer by J.J. Barea, who aggravated a left calf issue on the shot. He was playing in only his 18th game and now will miss some more.
“Same calf, different area,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s going to be a while. It’s going to be likely weeks and not days.”
Curry, who had been on the bench for a long stretch, re-entered the game for Barea and made a wide- open tying 3- pointer from the left corner with 25 seconds left.