DALLAS -- Two overtimes, one frustrating loss.

For the Jazz (10-6), Wednesday’s home double- overtime 111-106 loss to the Atlantic division’s worst team, the Toronto Raptors, was difficult to handle.

"It's tough. We had opportunities, said veteran Jazz guard Raja Bell to reporters after the game. “We were right there despite some mistakes we made. We were in it. You just keep fighting in a game like that and hope you might gut it out at the end. But they were the better team tonight. So they deserve it."

Paul Millsap led the Jazz effort with a 31-point 11- rebound performance, but without Al Jefferson, who sat out due to an inflamed ankle, Andrea Bargnani, Leinas Kleiza and the Raptors were too much to handle.

"It's a tough loss for us," Millsap told the Deseret News, "because we know we should have won the game."

The Jazz’s opponent tonight, the Dallas Mavericks (11-8) are also coming off a frustrating loss. On the night the Mavericks received their championship rings, Dallas was beaten 105-90 by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"This is an embarrassing loss. We were up 10 with 1:05 (left) or something there in the second quarter, said Mavs forward Shawn Marion after the loss.

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told the Fort Worth Star- Telegram on Thursday that the Mavs need to put the loss to the ’Wolves behind them.

“The way we played last night was a negative. We didn't play well and we were poor on defense, he said. "Today we've got to circle the wagons and make corrections and understand that the team we played (Wednesday) night is going to be very different than the team we're playing (Friday) night."

The Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki will be out for tonight’s game with a sore knee. Al Jefferson and Raja Bell will be game-time decision for the Jazz. Bell has a sore back and a sore knee, while an MRI revealed on Thursday that Jefferson has tendinitis in his right ankle.

Jazz forward Josh Howard will be returning to Dallas as a visitor for the first time since being traded in February 2010.

The Jazz will be looking to avenge last Thursday’s 94-91 loss to the Mavericks at EnergySolutions Arena, a game the Jazz had a chance to win down the stretch but let slip away. In that game, Jefferson led the Jazz in scoring with 22 points. Millsap chipped in with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

For Utah to get back to its winning ways, it’s going to have to do it against a team that it has struggled mightily against in recent history. The Jazz have lost five straight games to the Mavs, are 2-8 in their last 10 meetings and have lost 14 of their last 16 games in Dallas.

The game starts at 6:30 tonight and can be seen on Root Sports.