Five keys to the Jazz vs Mavericks series

In measured music, the downbeat is the first impulse that can be heard in the beginning. It is the strongest part of the rhythm. At SLC Dunk, The Downbeat is the first story of the weekday. It's to jump start your Jazz fandom before work, school, or a long day watching the kids.

This Saturday, the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks will begin their best-of-seven series. The teams split their season series 2-2, and they're relatively evenly matched in many ways. So what will make the difference in this series? I've identified five points to watch for that could swing the series.

Before I get into it, I'll address the elephant in the room. Dallas star Luka Doncic suffered a calf strain in his…