Luka Doncic Bounces Back with 40-Point Triple-Double; Mavs Snap Two-Game Skid
The Dallas Mavericks outlasted the Portland Trail Blazers down the stretch, 117-112, to end a two-game skid, led by Luka Doncic's 40-point triple-double at American Airlines Center on Saturday night. The Mavs improved to 7-5 while the Trail Blazers fell to 9-4 on the young season.
The Mavericks got off to another slow start, as the Trail Blazers jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but Dallas quickly rallied as they ended the first quarter with a 35-25 lead behind 10 points off the bench for Christian Wood.
Portland closed out the second quarter strong with a 13-0 run, as Dallas’ lead shrunk to just two heading into halftime, 59-57. The Mavs were led by Doncic’s 22-point first half.
To start the second half, the Trail Blazers came out firing, jumping out to an eight-point lead before ending up with an 88-85 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Portland was led by Jerami Grant’s season-high 33 points.
In the fourth, Spencer Dinwiddie caught fire in the final minutes, hitting three clutch 3-pointers in the closing moments to clinch the game for Dallas. The Mavericks also had many timely stops on the defensive end to seal the deal.
After a two-game slump, Doncic bounced back in a big way on Saturday, finishing with 42 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals on 13-of-22 from the floor and 15-of-18 from the free throw line.
Dinwiddie's hot-shooting fourth quarter helped him finish with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists on 7-of-11 from the field and 6-of-8 from downtown. Tim Hardaway Jr. found a groove off the bench, finishing with 16 points, three rebounds, and five assists.
Christian Wood played well in his return after missing the last two games due to a left knee sprain, finishing with 19 points and five rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting in 25 minutes. However, he struggled to stay on the floor floor due to foul trouble, and he exited the game with his sixth foul with just over four minutes remaining in the game.
The Mavericks will look to build on Saturday's victory on Tuesday at home against the Los Angeles Clippers. Stay tuned to DallasBasketball.com for more coverage between now and then.
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