Recap: Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks: The Jazz win, but Keyonte George's injury looms large

The Utah Jazz maintained their undefeated preseason record, beating the Dallas Mavericks on the road with a final score of 107-102

The biggest story of the game remains the health of Keyonte George. George left the game early in the third quarter after slipping while bringing the ball up. This happened after he took a step back on the sideline and stepped into a spilled drink. Unable to leave the game under his own weight, the Jazz exited with a mild left knee sprain.

Non-contact injuries are always a concern, but the first decision seems to be a good sign that George has avoided anything important. While we wait for further information, it is safe to assume that George will be out for the remainder of pre-season.

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

As for the rest of the game, the Jazz were led by Lauri Markkanen, who scored 26 points and seven rebounds. Walker Kessler, who had struggled to make much of an impression in the first two preseason games, dominated the field with 15 rebounds and two blocks.

Finding the offense through rebounds will be crucial for Kessler this season. He grabbed five offensive boards, some of which led to easy putback opportunities. While his struggles as a space-creating screener continue, it's encouraging to see him using his physicality to be a presence in the game. Tonight he did that on both sides.

Off the bench, Isaiah Collier and John Collins played impressively. Collier, who is clearly the best passer and field player on the team, has impressive composure and an impressive overview of the game early in his career. While his seven assists are a positive sign, what's even more impressive is his ability to get the Jazz on offense early, something Utah's other guards constantly struggle with. His ability to score at this level remains questionable, but if George is sidelined with injury early in the season, Collier will have plenty of opportunity to show his more offensive versatility.

Collins continues to perform well off the bench, posting stats of 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Although Collins expressed his desire to be in the starting line-up at media day, he provided a great spark from the bench in all three pre-season games. Collins is still best suited as a small-ball five in the NBA, and his ability to stretch the floor (though he shot 0-4 from threes tonight) allows the Jazz to have one while he's in the game to play faster offense.

The Jazz will continue their preseason on Saturday, taking on Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs at 6:00 p.m. MT.