FILE–Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks. Tom Pennington/Getty Images/AFP
Luka Doncic scored 28 of his career-high 51 points in the first quarter and tied a career best with seven 3-pointers, all made in the opening period, as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 112-105 on Thursday in Dallas.
Doncic set a fitting tone by scoring the first points on a 3-pointer. He knocked down seven of his first nine attempts from beyond the arc and finished the night 7 of 14 from deep to match the career high he set last May, also against the Clippers.
Doncic shot 17 of 26 overall, grabbed nine rebounds and dished six assists.
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The Mavericks pushed their lead to 17 points midway through the third quarter before Los Angeles came storming back.
The Clippers closed the third period on a 16-7 run, then chipped away at the deficit over the first five minutes of the fourth. Los Angeles pulled to within three points on a pair of free throws by Amir Coffey following a flagrant foul by Maxi Kleber.
Five Clippers scored in double figures, led by Marcus Morris’ 21 points, as Los Angeles countered the red-hot Doncic with balance.
😅 Hey @BobanMarjanovic how many points did Luka score? pic.twitter.com/6V7FcLt3m9
— NBA (@NBA) February 11, 2022
Norman Powell scored 19 points in his third game since joining the Clippers in a trade from Portland. Reggie Jackson scored 18 points, Terance Mann scored 13 off the bench and Nicolas Batum chipped in 10.
Doncic and Dorian Finney-Smith, who finished with 12 points, were the lone Mavericks scoring in double figures until Reggie Bullock sank a pivotal 3-pointer with 6:02 remaining. Bullock finished with 11 points, and his 3-pointer was part of a 7-0 run that gave Dallas a cushion down the stretch.
Jalen Brunson helped seal the win with a pair of free throws in the final minute that pushed him to 11 points and extended the Mavericks’ lead to three possessions.