SALT LAKE CITY – Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell went to his bag of tricks late in the second quarter as he created enough space to hit a layup, giving Utah a five point lead late in the half.

The Jazz hosted the Mavericks at Vivint Arena on Thursday, April 28 for Game 6 of their first round NBA playoff series.

Mitchell took Dorian Finney-Smith off the dribble at the top of the key, sliced through the paint splitting Finney-Smith and Maxi Kleber before hitting the acrobatic layup to give the Jazz a 41-36 lead. It was a dynamic play for the star guard in a must win game for the Jazz.

what 🕷 said#TakeNote | @spidadmitchell pic.twitter.com/QgZoxRKi0t

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 29, 2022

Donovan has 13 points in 15 minutes of action after it was in doubt whether or not he could play following an apparent injury late in game five.

Utah has picked up the pace late in the half, opening up a 53-41 lead at the half after Bojan Bogdanovic beat the halftime buzzer with a tough floater.

Mitchell Available Against Mavericks

Donovan Mitchell was available and started in game six with the Jazz welcoming Dallas back to Salt Lake City.

The guard left the team’s Game 5 loss with 4:41 left to play in the fourth quarter due to hamstring tightness, but an MRI Tuesday revealed no damage.

Donovan Mitchell explains his injuries and says he’ll be good to go for tomorrow’s Game 6 against the @dallasmavs.#TakeNote | ⁦@kslsports⁩ pic.twitter.com/SoF6xLc9dg

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) April 27, 2022

Mavericks Look To Close Out Series

The Mavericks can advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons, having been eliminated in the opening round in six consecutive postseason trips.

Dallas last won a playoff series in 2011 when they beat the Miami Heat for their first-ever NBA title.

Will the season end tonight for the @utahjazz?

📻: @ZoneSportsNet
🎧: https://t.co/yTfV2Fd1rE #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/orC0Ekl6pR

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 28, 2022

Luka Doncic has carried the Mavericks since rejoining the team in Game 4 after returning from a strained calf.

The superstar guard is averaging 31.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists as the Mavericks have split Games 4 and 5.

Broadcast

The Jazz and Mavericks Game 6 and can be heard on KSL NewsRadio and The Zone Sports Network. The game is televised on TNT, AT&T SportsNet, and FuboTV.

Follow @bpreece24