Luka Doncic confirmed his strong form with a triple-double, but was again on the floor for a long time in the Dallas Mavericks’ shootout against the Portland Trail Blazers. Dereck Lively II was injured early in the game.
Portland Trail Blazers (6-18) – Dallas Mavericks (16-9) 120:131 (BOXSCORE)
40 points on 15/28 from the field and 4/12 from downtown as well as 12 rebounds and 10 assists with 4 turnovers were the powerful result of the evening for Doncic, who, however, struggled again for over 37 minutes. It was Doncic’s fifth triple-double of the current season; he already scored 30 points before the break. Kyrie Irving missed the fourth game in a row with foot problems, and Josh Green, Maxi Kleber and Richaun Holmes were also sidelined.
The absence of the two big men came into focus when Lively had to leave the game in the first quarter due to a sprained ankle. The Blazers led by eight points in the first quarter, but from the second period onwards the Mavericks took control of the game and Portland no longer came within direct striking range. Tim Hardaway Jr. provided support off the bench with 25 points (5/15 3P) and 6 rebounds in almost 36 minutes, Dante Exum hit 8 of his 11 shots for 18 points and 3 assists.
On the other side, Anfernee Simons showed his skills with 33 points on 13/22 FG as well as 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Jerami Grant followed suit with 27 points (12/20 FG) in over 38 minutes. Scoot Henderson contributed 13 points (5/10 FG) and 2 assists in just under 24 minutes off the bench, but also committed 3 turnovers. The rookie showed off his athleticism in one dynamic drive including a hard finish in the third quarter.
After Lively’s injury, Dwight Powell (6, 2/3 FG) took over as center from the bench for almost 22 minutes and grabbed 4 offensive rebounds. Mavs coach Jason Kidd also repeatedly relied on small ball without a nominal five-pointer. Markieff Morris (10, 4 assists) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper got more playing time than usual, Derrick Jones Jr. showed a good performance with 18 points (6/11 FG) and 4 assists. Only Grant Williams remained pale for the Mavs with 3 points (1/4 FG) in 31 minutes as a starter.
NBA – Blazers vs. Mavericks: Die Stats-Leader der Partie
2023-12-17 05:08:00
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