Luka Doncic’s triple-double propels Mavs past Spurs
FILE — Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on February 27, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP
Luka Doncic scored 22 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and distributed 12 assists as the Dallas Mavericks earned a 115-104 win over the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday in the first game after the All-Star break for both teams.
The triple-double was Doncic’s eighth of the season and the 33rd of his career. Kristaps Porzingis added 28 points and 14 rebounds for the Mavericks, who have won four games in a row and 11 of their past 14.
Josh Richardson scored 12 points for Dallas while Maxi Kleber had 11 and Willie Cauley-Stein added 10 points.
SHEEEEESH, CHILL OUT LUKA ? pic.twitter.com/tLP5Kpt13F
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— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 11, 2021
DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 30 points and added 11 assists for San Antonio. Patty Mills hit for 14 points, Rudy Gay added 13, Lonnie Walker IV and Keldon Johnson tallied 12 each and Dejounte Murray contributed 11.
The Spurs missed 11 consecutive shots in the final eight minutes before getting a garbage-time bucket.
The game was tied at 95 after two free throws by San Antonio’s Derrick White with 7:56 to play. The Mavericks ran off the next seven points, with Porzingis scoring on the dunk and then a 3-pointer to cap the run, and the Spurs never threatened again.
The first half went back and forth, with seven ties and seven lead changes before San Antonio took a 59-52 lead to the break. DeRozan led all scorers with 14 points in the half while Gay, in his first game back after missing three weeks due to COVID-19 protocols, pouring in 11 off the San Antonio bench.
Cauley-Stein paced the Mavericks with just eight points at halftime. Dallas had 12 first-half turnovers that led to 10 points for the Spurs.
The third quarter had four more ties and five more lead changes before the Mavericks took an 87-86 advantage to the final 12 minutes. Doncic scored 11 points in the period for Dallas.
The Spurs announced before the game that LaMarcus Aldridge was not with the team after both parties decided to part ways.
Aldridge, a seven-time All-Star in his 15th year in the league, had missed eight of San Antonio’s previous 11 games with a hip injury and then a stomach ailment. He is on the final year of a contract that pays him $24 million annually.
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