SALT LAKE CITY \u2013 The Utah Jazz snapped their five-game losing streak by beating the Dallas Mavericks 116-114.<\/p>\n
Lauri Markkanen led all scorers with 33 points, while Cooper Flagg paced the Mavericks with 26.<\/p>\n
Related: Kevin Love, Jusuf Nurkic Praise Utah Jazz Culture<\/a><\/p>\n Jazz Make Amends for Wednesday\u2019s Late Loss<\/p>\n Just 24 hours after blowing an eight-point lead in the final six minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Jazz flipped the script on the Mavericks.<\/p>\n Trailing 107-100 with 4:39 remaining, the Jazz locked in and outscored Dallas 16-7 to close the game.<\/p>\n Keyonte George drilled a three-pointer to cut the Mavericks\u2019 lead to four, then Markkanen took over.<\/p>\n The Finnish forward scored the next six points, attacking Mavericks center Anthony Davis with a hook shot and two layups.<\/p>\n \ud835\udfed\ud835\udfef\ud835\ude01\ud835\uddf5 game of 30+ for The King of the North this season \ud83d\udc51<\/p>\n the man\u2019s an all-star, what more can we say? \u2b50\ufe0f#TakeNote<\/a> presented by @ZionsBank<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/J1AJo2HLai<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n With the Jazz ahead by two, Brice Sensabaugh buried a three from the top of the key, stretching the lead to five with 1:41 left and effectively ending Dallas\u2019 night.<\/p>\n While the Jazz found their offensive rhythm late, they also stifled the Mavericks\u2019 attack.<\/p>\n \u201cOur defense tonight, I thought was great,\u201d Jazz coach Will Hardy said. \u201cWe had some really long stretches where we guarded the paint well \u2014 the fourth quarter, they only had four paint points.\u201d<\/p>\n Dallas shot just 2-6 while the Jazz made their run, including a meaningless three in the final seconds.<\/p>\n After failing to finish off the reigning champion Thunder in Oklahoma City, the Jazz corrected their mistakes against Dallas.<\/p>\n Cody Williams Is Beginning to Carve Out a Niche<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to overstate how rough the first 62 games of Cody Williams\u2019 career were.<\/p>\n The 10th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft averaged just 4.6 points and 2.3 rebounds as a rookie, shooting a paltry 32 percent from the floor and 26 percent from three.<\/p>\n Then, somehow, he regressed in year two.<\/p>\n Williams opened this season averaging only 2.1 points and 0.8 rebounds in his first 12 games, shooting 30 percent from the floor and 11 percent from three.<\/p>\n Over his last 12, the Colorado product has posted a modest 5.9 points and 2.2 rebounds, but he\u2019s shooting an improved 48 percent from the floor, despite hitting just 17 percent from three.<\/p>\n one thing about Cody is\u2026 he\u2019s gonna \ud835\uddd7\ud835\udde8\ud835\udde1\ud835\uddde \ud83d\udca5 pic.twitter.com\/TwWdWuSyYf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cCody continues to improve and is having some really solid minutes for us,\u201d Hardy said. \u201cHis defense has been pretty high-level here recently.\u201d<\/p>\n Against Dallas, Williams delivered arguably his most complete game of the season, recording eight points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s putting a lot of pressure on the rim,\u201d Hardy added. \u201cHe caught two and a half lobs in a quarter, which I thought was great. [He\u2019s] getting out in transition, putting pressure on the rim. He\u2019s finding ways to impact the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams still has significant room to grow, and until he shoots more consistently from three, his role remains uncertain.<\/p>\n However, compared to early December, the 21-year-old\u2019s evolution is a welcome sign and worth tracking for the rest of the season.<\/p>\n The Jazz will host the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on\u00a097.5 The KSL Sports Zone<\/a>.<\/p>\n