Thursday night’s Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks matchup (January 15, 2026) arrives with the kind of injury sheet that can tilt a game before the opening tip. Dallas lists core rotation players as questionable or doubtful, while several stars remain out long-term. The result is a lineup puzzle and a test of depth for a team trying to steady itself in mid-January.

Final injury report: Jazz vs Mavericks on January 15

The Mavericks’ frontcourt is at the center of the final report. “Gafford is questionable for Thursday’s game against the Jazz due to a sprained right ankle.” Max Christie’s status has also turned: “Christie (illness) is doubtful for Thursday’s game against the Jazz.” And promising wing Cooper Flagg is trending down as well: “Flagg (ankle) is doubtful for Thursday’s game against Utah.”

Daniel Gafford’s status appears truly 50-50 across reports. One note frames it simply: “Gafford is hampered with a right ankle sprain, and it has yet to be determined if he will be active against the Jazz on Thursday.” The same language has followed Flagg and Christie in the last 24 hours, with both listed as game-time decisions leaning doubtful.

Beyond those day-to-day calls, Dallas remains short on star power. Anthony Davis (left finger sprain) is out and expected to be re-evaluated in six weeks. Kyrie Irving (knee) is out indefinitely with no timetable. Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery/Jones fracture) and Dante Exum (knee surgery) are both out for the season.

There are also end-of-roster watch points: two-way center Moussa Cissé and wing Miles Kelly have been listed as questionable, adding more uncertainty to Jason Kidd’s bench map. PJ Washington (right ankle) is a game-time call, too, which would further affect Dallas’ forward rotation if he’s limited.

“If Flagg sits, who creates shots besides Klay?”

What it means for the Mavericks’ rotation and scoring

With so many outs, Dallas will lean on a blue-collar starting five and role stability. The expected Mavericks lineup stacks up as:

• Naji Marshall (SF)
• RJ Nembhard Jr. (PG)
• Brandon Williams (SG)
• Klay Thompson (SF)
• Dwight Powell (C)

That group has size on the wings but will need to win the possession battle and stay disciplined in half-court sets. Thompson has averaged 11.4 points with 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists, so he’s more of a catch-and-shoot pressure point than a primary creator. If Flagg (22.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.0 blocks, 1.0 3PM) can’t go, the creation load shifts toward Marshall, Williams, and second-side actions for Klay.

Marshall’s scoring profile has been cited two ways across recent notes: 12.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists in one snapshot, and 15.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists in another. Either way, he’s a key driver in the Mavericks’ wing attack and a willing defender who can guard up a position. Williams has chipped in 9.8 points, 3.0 assists in his minutes, while Max Christie’s 10.5 points and 1.9 assists are likely off the table if his illness keeps him out.

Up front, the Gafford question is massive. Without him and Lively II, Dallas loses vertical spacing on offense and rim protection on defense. Davis’ absence (he’d been averaging 14.6 points, 8.3 rebounds before the finger sprain) has already forced the Mavs to patch minutes with Dwight Powell and small-ball looks.

“January depth test: can Dallas win on effort and threes?”

Jazz watch: Lauri Markkanen listed as questionable (illness)

Utah’s own headline is the status of Lauri Markkanen, who is questionable due to illness. If he’s limited or out, the Jazz’s spacing and late-clock scoring take a hit. If he plays, Dallas’s thinned frontcourt has to handle a tough cover who can score at all three levels.

Markkanen’s status could also change how Utah defends Thompson and the Dallas shooters. With Markkanen, the Jazz can switch more and stay home on the perimeter. Without him, they may need to collapse more in the paint, opening corner threes for Thompson and Marshall.

Records, trends, and the totals angle

Dallas enters at 15–26, sitting fourth in the Southwest Division. One earlier preview framed the Mavericks as having “only 10 wins this season” (one more than Utah at that time), while the current listed standing is 15 victories. What has been consistent is the push-pull nature of Dallas’ games: pace up, then grind down late with a short rotation.

On totals, one data point noted the Mavericks finished over 240.5 points in six of their first 26 games. That suggests caution in expecting a track meet, especially if Gafford, Flagg, and Christie don’t play and Dallas leans on half-court offense and longer defensive possessions.

“No Kyrie, no AD, maybe no Gafford — win with defense or not at all.”

Three swing factors to watch

• Availability at tip: Gafford’s ankle and Flagg’s ankle are the headline calls. If both sit, Utah’s rim pressure and second-chance chances rise.
• Rim protection and boards: Without Gafford/Lively II/Davis, the Mavericks must rebound as a group. Powell’s positioning is key, and wings have to crash.
• Shot creation: Thompson’s gravity matters, but Dallas needs dribble penetration from Nembhard Jr. and Williams to bend the defense.

Projected starting five and roles

Assuming the doubtful tags hold and the questionable tags trend toward active, here’s how Dallas likely opens:

• Naji Marshall: downhill wing, secondary playmaker, defensive stopper on the perimeter.
• RJ Nembhard Jr.: steady ball-handler, sets the table, must keep turnovers down.
• Brandon Williams: pace guard, on-ball pressure, needs to hit open threes.
• Klay Thompson: floor-spacer and catch-and-shoot threat; can punish switches.
• Dwight Powell: screen-and-dive big, box-outs, vertical spacing if guards draw help.

Bench minutes could come from depth wings and two-way options if cleared. Monitor PJ Washington pregame; if he’s active, he provides a much-needed two-way jolt at the 4 with shooting and toughness.

The bottom line

The final hours before tip will decide how shorthanded Dallas really is. We know Irving, Davis, Lively II, and Exum are out. We also know Gafford’s ankle and Flagg’s ankle loom largest, with Christie’s illness likely keeping him out. If even one of Gafford or Flagg suits up, Dallas’s margin for error improves.

Utah’s Markkanen is the Jazz swing piece. If he plays to form, he stress-tests a thin Mavericks frontcourt. If he sits, Dallas can tighten the paint and dare secondary Jazz scorers to beat them. Either way, this one has the feel of a grind, where effort plays, clean rotations, and late-game shot-making decide it.

Short-handed or not, the Mavericks have a blueprint: defend without fouling, keep the glass close, and hunt good threes. With the injury sheet this long in mid-January, that’s the path that gives them a real shot.