RUD' AWAKENING
Gober, Jazz Knot series against Doncic, Mavericks at 2 games each
Rudy Gobert gave the Jazz the lead with an alley-oop dunk with 11.0 seconds left and they held off the Mavericks, 100-99, in Game 4 to tie the first-round series on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Spencer Dinwiddie missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for Dallas.
Utah held the Mavericks to 18 points in the fourth quarter after surrendering a double-digit lead in the second half. Dallas made just two baskets through the first seven minutes of the fourth and shot 33 percent overall in quarter.
“This is the team we want to be,” Gobert said. “This is who we are.”
Jordan Clarkson scored 25 points for the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell added 23 points and seven assists. Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 15 rebounds — 10 off the offensive glass. He was 3-for-8 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and 9-for-18 overall.
Mavericks star Luka Doncic had 30 points, 10 rebounds four assists in his return from a three-game absence because of a strained left calf.
“Getting my wind back,” Doncic said. “A little bit tired now but it felt great to be back.”
Jalen Brunson added 23 points for Dallas, and Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell and Reggie Bullock had 11 points apiece.
Game 5 will be Monday night in Dallas.
“We were down 12 at the half and we stayed the course, and it comes down to the last possession,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “If you’re on the road in the playoffs and it comes down to the last play, you can’t ask for a better situation.”
After going 3 ¹/2 minutes without a basket, the Jazz took a 95-94 lead on Mitchell’s layup with 1:27 remaining. Doncic answered with back-to-back baskets to put Dallas up 99-95.
Mitchell converted a three-point play to bring Utah within one. Powell missed a pair of free throws with 19.8 seconds left, opening the door for Gobert’s winner.
The Jazz doubled Doncic on the final possession, forcing him to kick out to Dinwiddie on the right wing for a 3-point shot that fell short.
“We didn’t really execute it well,” Doncic said.
Utah led by 16 points before halftime. The Jazz built up a 51-35 lead after a big second quarter from Clarkson. He scored baskets on three consecutive possessions to help Utah carve out a double-digit lead.
Dallas erased the deficit in the third quarter behind hot outside shooting. The Mavericks went 8 of 10 from long distance in the quarter and took a 74-71 lead when Finney-Smith and Brunson scored 3-pointers over four straight possessions to fuel a 12-2 run.
Raptors 110, 76ers 102
In Toronto, Pascal Siakam scored 15 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, Gary Trent Jr. added 24 points and the Raptors beat the 76ers to a avoid a series sweep.
Game 5 will be Monday night in Philadelphia. No team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA playoff series.
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid started despite a right thumb injury that required him to wear a brace. Embiid shot 3-for-10 in the first half. He finished 7-for-16 and scored 21 points in 39 minutes. Before the game, 76ers coach Doc Rivers said Embiid is expected to undergo an MRI exam.
James Harden had 22 points for the 76ers.
Timberwolves 119, Grizzlies 118
In Minnesota, Karl Anthony Towns had 33 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Timberwolves to a Game 4 win over the Grizzlies, evening the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.
Anthony Edwards chipped in with 24 points for Minnesota. Desmond Bane scored 34 for Memphis, while Ja Morant was held to 11.