Playoff Luka Doncic has entered the chat — as the Jazz look to exit

—SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz trailed the Dallas Mavericks 24-18 after one quarter and 52-36 after two; but even at that point, the lead didn't seem insurmountable.

Then Luka Doncic happened.

It started slow: a layup here, a midrange jumper there. But then, with under six minutes left in the third quarter, the floodgates were opened and "Luka Magic" flooded the America Airlines Center.

Step-back. Swish. Step-back. Swish.

The Mavericks led 74-46 and the game was over.

There were still 17 more minutes of basketball that were technically left to be played, but they didn't matter. The starters stayed in the game until well into the fourth quarter — possibly against the better judgement of either coach — but it didn't matter.

It took four-and-a-half games, but the very thing every Utah fan, player and coach dreaded ever since the playoff matchup was revealed had finally arrived: Playoff Luka.

The energy from his second step-back 3-pointer alone was enough to blow the top off the arena and deflate any hopes the Jazz had of a comeback — both in the game and possibly the series.

Speaking of comebacks, the Mavericks are now in familiar territory, having gone up 3-2 over the Los Angeles Clippers last season just to lose in seven games. Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Doncic all said they are choosing not to remember that; and they feel like as long as they "take care of business," they can close out the series on Thursday in Utah.

If "taking care of business" means handing the ball to Doncic and letting him go to work, the Mavericks should be in good shape. The Slovenian superstar finished with 33 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in the 102-77 rout of the Jazz in Dallas, officially marking his arrival in the 2022 NBA Playoffs.

"It looks like he's been playing this whole series," head coach Jason Kidd said. "His conditioning, his effort on the defensive end. Again, as we talked about rebounding the ball, he's one of the best for us, and he did that for us tonight."

Big man Maxi Kleber did not play in Game 5, putting some of the rebounding load on Doncic's shoulders, which he gladly took on. Returning home to the fans in Dallas helped give the team an extra push, according to Doncic, especially when they got tired.

"It's amazing, you know, it's a one-of-a-kind feeling that you just can't describe," Doncic said of the crowd. "The whole arena is cheering for you, for your team; it's just unbelievable. I think the fans were amazing today. They helped us get this win, if not for them, we maybe don't win this game. They push us up every time we're tired."

Fans and players alike were ready to run to Doncic's aid late in the game when he took a hard foul from Hassan Whiteside and fell to the ground. Teammate Reggie Bullock was ejected from the game for shoving Whiteside in response to the foul, and Finney-Smith received a technical for inserting himself into the scuffle as well.

"It's the playoffs, man," Doncic said after the game. "There's going to be tension, but it was nothing. I tried to dunk, it wasn't successful, but these things happen in the playoffs."

Doncic and the Mavericks look to closeout the Jazz in Salt Lake City on Thursday at 8 p.m. MDT on TNT.

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