Luka Doncic's Mavs Use Hot Shooting to Handily Defeat Heat
The Dallas Mavericks (25-22) took on the Miami Heat (25-22) on Friday, intending to end a three-game losing streak. The Mavs came out on top, with 115-90 being the final score.
The Mavs played without Christian Wood in the lineup, as he is currently sidelined with a fractured thumb. They had to get more creative with lineup combinations as a result, including deploying Dorian Finney-Smith as a small ball center.
It was a strong start for the Mavs as they jumped out to a 31-19 lead through the end of the opening period. The momentum was largely maintained through the remainder of the half as Dallas led 60-51 at the break. Between shooting 11-21 (52.4 percent) from 3-point range and receiving a combined 30 points from Doncic (19) and Spencer Dinwiddie (11), it was a strong stretch for the Mavs.
The Mavs continued to grow their lead by outscoring the Heat 32-16 in the third period, creating a 92-67 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Doncic and the rest of the starters ended up getting an early end to their night after maintaining a significant lead. The continued perimeter shooting disparity proved too much for the Heat to overcome.
Doncic set the tone for the Mavs with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. He recorded his 32nd game with at least 30 points, which leads the NBA by a substantial margin. No other player in the league has more than 25 of those performances.
Doncic's backcourt partner, Spencer Dinwiddie, had a solid outing with 19 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Reggie Bullock and Josh Green provided major sparks off the Mavs' bench. Bullock finished with 15 points on 5-6 shooting from deep with a pair of steals. Green chipped in 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists, frequently attacking closeouts and making hustle plays.
The Mavs return to action on Sunday when they take on the LA Clippers in an early afternoon game — before the Dallas Cowboys' Divisional Round playoff matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
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