SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz dropped to 0-3 in the preseason, falling to the Dallas Mavericks in their exhibition home opener 114-101.
Brice Sensabaugh led the Jazz with 16 points, while the Mavericks were led by Anthony Davis, who scored a game-high 25 points.
Related: Ace Bailey Leaves Home Opener With Knee Injury
Bailey Vs. Flagg Proves To Be A Dud
The first NBA matchup between top-five picks Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey failed to deliver after the Jazz rookie left the game after just 11 minutes on the court.
Bailey exited the floor with 3:06 left in the first half and was ruled out for the remainder of the action due to bilateral knee soreness.
The Rutgers product scored just three points on 1-5 shooting in 11 minutes on the court.
Ace Bailey left the @utahjazz preseason home opener due to bilateral knee soreness and will not return.#TakeNote https://t.co/sEkUUzyoYn
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 14, 2025
Flagg played the whole game, but wasn’t much better when he was on the floor.
The top overall pick scored 11 points on 3-13 shooting, while adding seven rebounds, one assist, and two blocks.
The two players won’t meet again until January 8 when the Jazz host the Mavericks in Salt Lake City.
Lauri Markkanen also left the game at halftime, but no injury was announced. The All-Star forward was making his preseason debut after missing the team’s first two road appearances with a wrist injury.
Markkanen recorded 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists in just over 18 minutes.
What Hardy Wants To See From Jazz’s Excellent Size
With Kyle Filipowski and Lauri Markkanen returning to the lineup, it’s safe to say the Jazz have more position size than at any point in franchise history.
Between Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Taylor Hendricks, and Jusuf Nurkic, four of the Jazz’s five starters were 6-foot-7 or taller.
Mix in Walker Kessler’s pending return and Filipowski’s seven-foot frame, and the Jazz will have some of the best length in the NBA.
But how can that help the team?
“We’ve got to protect the basket, we’ve got to rebound,” Hardy said. “I think those two areas are where we’ve fallen short.”
Will Hardy ahead of tonight’s preseason home opener for the @utahjazz against the @dallasmavs.
– What to expect from Kyle Filipowski
– Kevin Love’s early impact
– What he’s seen from Hendricks and Williams
– What he wants to see with the added team size#takenote pic.twitter.com/7bkESaTlr2
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 13, 2025
The Jazz were outrebounded against the Mavericks 59-48 and allowed 36 points in the paint.
“If we’re going to play with bigger players on the court, the advantage has to be that we are better at controlling the interior part of the half court,” Hardy added. “Can we protect the rim as a group, not rely on one person to do that, then can we rebound a little bit better as a team?”
The Jazz were the eighth-best rebounding team last season, largely due to their superior offensive rebounding (seventh-ranked), anchored by Kessler, while ranking 16th in defensive rebounds.
Against Dallas, nine different players grabbed at least three rebounds for the Jazz, led by Jusuf Nurkic who recorded a 13 point, 15 rebound double-double.
Renovated Delta Center Looks Excellent After Phase One
Monday marked the first game played at the recently renovated Delta Center, and through phase one, the project looks excellent.
The lower bowl has been revamped on account of the new riser system, which provides better sightlines for the Utah Mammoth.
The seating in the middle rows of the lower bowl is slightly shallower than in years past, though the first four rows are noticeably steeper.
You get a sense of the riser system and the new look of the lower bowl.
It looks excellent, the width of the seating behind the hoops really stands out. #TakeNote | @kslsports pic.twitter.com/wEb7ddZdYO
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) October 13, 2025
Rows eleven through the top of the lower bowl maintain the steepness longtime Jazz fans should be familiar with.
Additionally, spreading the two seating sections behind the basket into four provides a fuller lower bowl experience and looks far more modern than the previous design of the arena.
The public restrooms on the main concourse also got a makeover, providing more room for fans inside the facilities.
Overall, it’s hard to believe the operation was completed in just one summer and should be an overall boost for both basketball and hockey.
Next Utah Jazz Broadcast
The Jazz will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday at 7 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone . Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.