Trevor Booker stood at center court prior to tipoff Monday night to offer thanks to the fans who had supported the Jazz all season. “You really were the sixth man,” he said. And there were more sixth men this season than a year ago. The Jazz should finish in the top 10 in attendance for a second straight season. In 40 home games before Monday night’s showdown with Dallas, the Jazz had announced an average attendance of 19,289 — the ninth highest in the NBA this season and an uptick from the season prior. “It’s a big deal,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “Our guys, they never take it for granted. There are some times when I’m more engaged in the game and I don’t hear the crowd. Then they’re talking about it after the game and they always hear it.” The Jazz had gone 24-16 at home before Monday night’s game against the Dallas. On the road, they had amassed a 16-24 record. Utah’s success during its rebuilding efforts has no doubt brought more fans back to the arena. In 2013, when the Jazz won 25 games and went 16-25 at home, the team averaged 18,175 fans. Last season, the Jazz went 21-20 in Salt Lake City in front of an average announced crowd of 18,830. “The crowd is huge,” forward Gordon Hayward said before the game, anticipating a big turnout for an important game. “We always seem to play better at home. We come down, hit a couple shots, it’s a huge momentum swing. Seems like in these types of games, every bucket is big and the crowd brings a lot of energy.” The Chicago Bulls, with an average of 21,822, led the league in attendance as of Monday. The Denver Nuggets ranked last with an average attendance of 14,095. The French rejection Rudy Gobert’s six blocks against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday moved him into a tie with Minnesota rookie Karl-Anthony Towns for fifth most in the NBA this season. Entering Monday, Gobert and Towns had both swatted 135 shots. But Gobert, who missed a month of action with a knee injury this season, had played in 20 fewer games than the rookie. The Jazz center was tied for second in the league in blocks per game, rejecting an average of 2.3 per contest. “I’m not trying to block the most shots,” Gobert said Monday at shootaround. “I’m just trying to make the right play. Sometimes you’re not going to block the shot. … Just protect the paint, protect the rim and help my teammates.” Injury report Derrick Favors was a late scratch Sunday because of lingering soreness in his right knee. The Jazz forward was cleared to play Monday after consulting with the training staff following his pregame warmup, but Favors was not in the starting lineup. Instead, rookie Trey Lyles got the start. “He’s been great for us every time that Fav has had to be out,” Hayward said of Lyles before the game. “I remember last time we played in Dallas he was really good attacking Dirk [Nowitzki], attacking some of their bigs. He’s a matchup problem for a lot of guys in the league and we’re going to need his energy.” afalk@sltrib.com Twitter: @tribjazz

Jazz notes • Utah’s attendance rose slightly this season.