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Jazz lose to Dallas and lose Taylor Hendricks to injury

Jazz lose to Dallas and lose Taylor Hendricks to injury

DALLAS (ABC4 Sports) – The Utah Jazz didn’t just lose to the Dallas Mavericks Monday night for their third straight defeat to open the season. They also lost second year rising star Taylor Hendricks possibly for the rest of the season.

Kyrie Irving scored 23 points and Klay Thompson added 18 to lift the Mavericks over the Utah Jazz 110-102 on Monday night.

But Utah’s focus is on Hendricks, who was wheeled off on a stretcher with a broken leg midway through the third quarter after he fell to the floor without any contact near the baseline beneath Utah’s basket. The team said he had a fractured right fibula and dislocated ankle, and he is expected to be out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.

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“That’s hard to stomach,” said Jazz head coach Will Hardy. “He’s put in a lot of hard work. He’s a great kid, and so we’re really just trying to focus on him and is health, keeping his spirits up as he begins the road to recovery.”

Hendricks was the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and was a big part of the Jazz future plans. Hendricks played in just 40 games as a rookie, but earned a spot in the starting rotation this season.

“These are the moments in sports that suck,” Hardy said. “He’s put in a lot of work and he deserves an opportunity. We’ll help him get back.”

Luke Doncic had 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists on an off shooting night.

Irving was scoreless until hitting two 3-pointers in the final 40 seconds of the first quarter for the defending Western Conference champions, who have won two of their first three games.

Collin Sexton scored 23 points and Lauri Markkanen and Keonte George added 17 each to lead the Jazz, who have lost their first three games for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

Doncic was 5 of 22 from the floor and hit his only 3-pointer in nine tries with 2:34 remaining.

The Jazz went into play 29th in the NBA in field-goal shooting at 39% and shot 37% and 28.6% from distance.

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Irving was the only member of their big-three shooting stars to find his shot from long range. Irving was 3 of 6 and Thompson was 4 of 11.

Dallas led 101-95 with 2:48 to play when Washington blocked Kessler at the rim. Doncic hit the 3-pointer seconds later to put Dallas ahead by nine.

The Jazz now come home to host the Sacramento Kings Tuesday night at the Delta Center.

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