The Dallas Mavericks clinched a win at the Portland Trail Blazers a day after beating the Golden State Warriors. With a 132:112 win, Luka Doncic recorded his sixth triple-double of the season.
Portland Trail Blazers (20-28) – Dallas Mavericks (28-21) 112:132 (BOXSCORE)
Doncic almost always had the game under control for more than 48 minutes without appearing as a great scorer himself. With only eleven throw attempts, the guard set a personal record for the season. In the end there were 15 points (4/11 FG), 10 rebounds and a season best of 15 assists in the box score. Like the All-Star, Jalen Brunson (20, 9/15, 11 dimes) was in a giving mood, the point guard finally took over in the fourth quarter with Doncic on the bench and posted 11 points and 3 assists in this period alone.
Seven Mavs players scored in double figures, with Kristaps Porzingis (22, 8/18) appearing as the top scorer. Maxi Kleber contributed 12 points (5/9 FG, 2/5 trebles), 5 rebounds and 3 blocks in 27 minutes to the win.
On the other side, there was a lot going on again about Anfernee Simons (23, 9/14) and CJ McCollum (20, 8/16), but otherwise there was very little with the exceptions of Norman Powell (19) and Jusuf Nurkic (18). That wasn’t surprising, given that Portland were missing two starters, Damian Lillard, Nassir Little, Larry Nance Jr., Robert Covington and Cody Zeller, and a total of five rotation players.
The Blazers started weak and Dallas quickly built a double-digit lead. Doncic dissected the Blazers defense, the Mavs hit 65 percent of the field in the first quarter – without putting in much effort. The lead grew to 18 points, only when Blazers coach Chauncey Billups switched to a zone defense did the Mavs engine stutter.
And even after the change, the Mavs lacked ideas, bit by bit the Blazers came closer to the overheating McCollum. -4 was the highest of feelings, then Doncic took control again and orchestrated an 18:5 run to end the third quarter.
Dwight Powell (15, 5/5 FG) and Reggie Bullock (15, 4/7 threes) also had their best periods here. The Blazers weren’t getting any closer because Brunson picked up right where Doncic left off. The Slovenian then returned briefly when the triple-double was in the sack, but he also had to call it a day.
Dallas ultimately hit 54 percent from the field, and 16 of 36 three-pointers fell into the basket (44 percent). Portland also sunk more than half of their throws, but defense, as is so often the case, was the Blazers’ big problem.
