Doncic posts triple-double in Mavs’ narrow win
Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after scoring against the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center on February 10, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. Tom Pennington/Getty Images/AFP
Luka Doncic scored 28 points with 10 assists and 10 rebounds Wednesday as the Dallas Mavericks rallied for a 118-117 NBA victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Doncic notched his league-leading seventh triple-double of the season and the Mavericks rallied from a nine-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter as they continue to try to fight their way up from the depths of the Western Conference.
LUKA.
🌟 RT to vote 🌟 @luka7doncic | #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/e4uQ778e5z
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 11, 2021
A Doncic three-pointer gave the Mavericks their first lead since the second quarter, 104-101, with 5:29 to play.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 13 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and Jalen Brunson added 11 of his 21 in the final frame for Dallas.
2⃣4⃣ in the 4th for Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jalen Brunson power the @dallasmavs to victory!@jalenbrunson1: 21 PTS, 11 in 4th@T_HardJR: 16 PTS, 13 in 4th pic.twitter.com/tDNSorgUTT
— NBA (@NBA) February 11, 2021
The Hawks, led by 33 points from John Collins and with 25 points, seven rebounds and 15 assists from Trae Young, twice cut the deficit to one point in the final two minutes.
But on Atlanta’s last inbounds they couldn’t get the ball to Young and veteran Danilo Gallinari’s jump shot with nine-tenths of a second remaining came up short.
“I was really relieved,” admitted Doncic. “I was so happy when they missed a shot to get us back on a winning track.
“We’re just getting started,” Doncic added. “We keep improving every game.”
The contest opened with the first playing of the national anthem at a Mavs home game this season — the league instructing teams to maintain the tradition of the pre-game anthem a day after Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he “decided not to play it and see what the response was.”
The anthem has become a touchy topic since becoming the focal point for protests of social and racial injustice.
