The Dallas Mavericks rediscovered their identity Monday night — even if the three-pointers didn’t fall as planned.

The Dallas Mavericks found their most balanced performance of the preseason Monday night, combining size, defense, and pace to defeat the Utah Jazz 114–101 at Delta Center.

After head coach Jason Kidd challenged his team to increase its three-point attempts following Saturday’s loss to Charlotte, the Mavericks responded by firing 53 triples — nearly double their previous total. Though they shot just 28.3% from deep, Kidd praised the team’s approach and ball movement.

“I don’t know when the last time a Mavs team shot 50-something threes,” Kidd said. “It’s been a while. We talked about taking away tough twos, and I thought the group did a really good job of responding to what we’ve talked about over film and being able to do that tonight. Creating for others was big, and having 32 assists helps.”

The offense took shape behind Anthony Davis, who delivered his most dominant preseason showing yet. Davis scored 25 points in 25 minutes while anchoring the defense and controlling the paint.

“When you talk about it, this is probably one of his best games,” Kidd said. “You can see his conditioning. You can see that he’s starting to ramp up to more minutes. We’ll ramp up his minutes again on Thursday. But if he’s going to play like he did tonight, that puts us in a good seat to win a lot of games. Being able to do it from the inside out, playmake, defensively — you could see he was into the game from the beginning.”

With D’Angelo Russell sidelined, Kidd inserted Cooper Flagg at point guard in an oversized starting lineup that included Dereck Lively II, Davis, P.J. Washington, and Klay Thompson. The result was a disruptive, versatile unit that dictated tempo and overwhelmed Utah on the glass.

“It was really good — just being able to have options, starting P.J., and I thought that group got off to a really good start defensively,” Kidd said. “We set the tone early, and again, offensively got some great looks. I thought that group was really good. You’ll probably see that group start again on Thursday.”

Kidd also credited his team’s rim protection, which produced 10 blocks and limited the Jazz to 40.2% shooting.

“When you look at the depth of our bigs and our wings — our wings are athletic and can also block shots,” Kidd said. “I don’t think it’s common to block a Markkanen jump shot, but P.J. started us off. Our defense was in tune. Yes, I think we could be one of the best shot-blocking teams in the league.”

For two-way players Ryan Nembhard and Miles Kelly, the night offered valuable chances to showcase their growth. Nembhard finished in double figures and earned extended minutes alongside the starters.

“Just to get some experience — experience in these games at this level, with these guys, and show the coaching staff and the organization what I can do,” Nembhard said. “Our offense has a lot of cutting and good actions in it, so there’s a lot of space to make plays.”

Nembhard’s poise as a facilitator drew praise from Kidd, who said he plans to continue giving the rookie guard more opportunities in upcoming games.

“We got minutes with Ryan with that first group, and I think he took full advantage of the opportunity tonight,” Kidd said. “He was able to make plays for his teammates. I thought he set the table well.”

Kelly, meanwhile, knocked down four three-pointers off the bench and provided the scoring spark Dallas lacked in its previous outing.

“Just always staying ready,” Kelly said. “When your name is called, you’ve got to take advantage of the opportunity and come in and play your game.”

Kelly credited Nembhard’s vision for creating easy looks and helping him find rhythm within the offense.

“He’s a pass-first point guard and always has his head up,” Kelly said. “All I’ve got to do is find an open window, make it easier for him to pass, and knock down the shot. We got out in transition — he found me, Dennis found me — they made it super easy.”

Kidd said he was encouraged by how the group’s length, activity, and communication helped stabilize the rotation as Dallas improved to 2–1 in the preseason.

“When you look at the depth of our bigs and our wings,” Kidd said, “it’s rare to have a team that can protect the rim like this. Our defense was in tune tonight.”

The Mavericks will continue their preseason slate Wednesday in Las Vegas against the Los Angeles Lakers before returning home to prepare for the Oct. 22 regular-season opener against San Antonio.