Luka Doncic scores 27 as Mavericks overtake Raptors
Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts during the second half of the NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on October 23, 2021 in Toronto, Canada. Cole Burston/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Cole Burston / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Luka Doncic compiled 27 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds as the visiting Dallas Mavericks defeated the Toronto Raptors 103-95 on Saturday night.
Tim Hardaway Jr. added 25 points — 13 in the fourth quarter — for the Mavericks, who won for the first time this season after losing their opener at Atlanta on Thursday.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Dallas, and Dwight Powell and Dorian Finney-Smith each scored 11 points.
Toronto’s OG Anunoby scored 23 points, 20 in the first half as he ran into foul trouble. Fred VanVleet had 20 points for the Raptors, who lost for the second time in three games. Scottie Barnes had 17 points, Gary Trent scored 12 points and Precious Achiuwa added 10 points and 12 rebounds.
The Mavericks used a 29-21 third-quarter advantage to take a two-point lead into the fourth quarter.
✨ 27 PTS, 9 REB, 12 AST ✨@luka7doncic leads the way in the @dallasmavs' comeback dub! pic.twitter.com/1fPOpDIusw
— NBA (@NBA) October 24, 2021
Eight points from Hardaway helped increase the margin to nine early in the fourth, and a Hardaway dunk gave Dallas a 10-point lead with 5:53 remaining. Maxi Kleber’s 3-pointer increased the gap to 16 with 4:47 left.
Achiuwa’s dunk cut Toronto’s deficit to 10 with 2:36 remaining in the game.
The Raptors, who opened a 16-2 lead, settled for a 25-18 lead after one quarter.
A 3-pointer by Porzingis cut the lead to four with 8:29 left in the second quarter, but a dunk and a 3-pointer by Anunoby bumped the lead to 10.
Doncic’s 10-foot bank shot cut the margin to two with 1:43 remaining in the half. Toronto led 51-45 at halftime.
Anunoby had 20 points in the first half, but he also had three fouls.
Hardaway’s 3-pointer cut the advantage to two with 6:42 play in the third quarter. Doncic’s layup tied the game 36 seconds later, and Powell’s dunk gave Dallas a two-point lead with 5:43 left in the third. Doncic increased the Mavericks’ edge to eight on a 3-pointer with 4:11 left.
Anunoby picked up his fifth foul with 2:20 to go in the third.
Achiuwa completed the third-quarter scoring with a dunk that cut the Mavericks’ lead to 74-72.
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