Jazz's Taylor Hendricks suffers gruesome ankle injury in loss to Mavericks

DALLAS — Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy spent at least half of his pregame availability Monday praising second-year forward Taylor Hendricks.

The 20-year-old ninth overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft has been a clear priority for the team entering the season. He started the first three games for the Jazz, which included putting up 12 points, five rebounds and a pair of steals in the season-opener against Memphis.

The bright start and upward development came to a halt against the Dallas Mavericks, however, as Hendricks appeared to slip and fall on his ankle in the third quarter, which resulted in a fractured right fibula and dislocated ankle, according to the Jazz.

Officials had to use a stretcher to take Hendricks off the floor as several Jazz players looked noticeably affected by the injury.

"That's hard to stomach," Hardy said after the game. "He's put in a lot of hard work. He's a great kid. We are just trying to focus on him, his health, and keeping his spirits up as he begins the long road. These are the moments in sports that suck.

"This is far from over for (Hendricks)," Hardy added. "This is a pause button for Taylor. You can see the flashes, you can see where this could be going for him. That's a credit to him, he's put a lot of work in."

Utah trailed Dallas by 12 points at the end of the third quarter, but an 11-point solo run by John Collins was able to cut the deficit to 86-81 with 9:36 remaining in the game.

Collins' spark helped Utah to a 32-28 advantage in fourth quarter scoring, but it wasn't enough in an eventual 110-102 loss. Collin Sexton and Kyrie Irving were the top point-getters for their respective teams on the night, tied at 23 points for the game-high.

The Jazz drop to 0-3 on the season and return to Salt Lake City Tuesday for a pair of home games against the Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday and Thursday.

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