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Dallas • When the Utah Jazz flew into Dallas on Thursday in advance to Friday night's game against the Mavericks, Gordon Hayward sent a text message to his good friend Jeremy Evans, in hopes of the two getting together.
By Friday morning, the two hadn't seen each other, family time getting into the way. If nothing else, it was an indication that the two had grown up, that things were different than in 2011 when they were young guys on the Jazz.
Today, the two have families. Hayward is still in Utah, and Evans is with Dallas, having left the Jazz in free agency this summer. Still, the two are friends for life and have formed a bond they say will never be broken.
"It was good to have a friend on a team like him, especially with us being so young," Hayward said. "He was someone that you could talk to and hang with and go through NBA life with. I'm thankful I had him in my life, I wish him the very best and he's someone who will always be my friend."
Hayward and Evans formed a pact early on. If the two were on different teams, they would try to dunk on each other, which naturally meant a couple of trash-talking texts have already been exchanged.
The Mavericks have more than several names recognizable by Jazz fans. In addition to Evans, Dallas has Devin Harris, Wes Matthews and, of course, Deron Williams. He's not the same D-Will he was with the Jazz, but Williams has proved to be a nice addition to the Mavericks, running the offense, scoring and passing effectively.
Chiefly because of the former Jazz players, along with Dirk Nowitzki, obviously, Dallas entered Friday night on a six-game winning streak and looks to be one of the better teams in the Western Conference early on.
"It's good to see the guys, but it's a little weird being on different teams," Evans said. "I've been with the Jazz for so long, that's all I really knew. I loved my time in Utah and everything the Jazz organization did for me and I miss it there."
Breaking the hex
The Jazz last won a game in Dallas in 2010. Kobe Bryant was still an elite NBA player, the Barack Obama presidency was still in its infancy and Jerry Sloan was still coaching in Utah.
All told, the Jazz have lost 10 consecutive games in American Airlines Center, something they would like to rectify.
"It's a hard place to win," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. "It's a place where a lot of teams have had problems winning in."
Utah entered Friday night 4-4 away from home.
Same old
Nowitzki is far from washed up, which is what some Dallas fans feared before the season started. At 37, the 7-foot power forward, one of the best ever, is averaging 18.5 points a night, shooting 52 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range. Nowitzki is still playing at an all-star level, something that's made the Mavericks unexpectedly dangerous to start the season.
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