NBA: Luka Doncic’s historic scoring night powers Mavericks past Jazz
Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks. Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP
Luka Doncic scored 33 points and had 11 assists as the host Dallas Mavericks overcame double-digit deficits on multiple occasions to beat the Utah Jazz 103-100 Wednesday night.
Christian Wood added 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Spencer Dinwiddie contributed 20 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals to help Dallas win a second consecutive game for the first time this season.
Jordan Clarkson finished with 22 points on four 3-pointers with eight assists to lead the Jazz, but he missed a game-tying attempt in the last second as Utah began a three-game road trip with a defeat.
Collin Sexton totaled 19 points and gave Utah a chance at forcing overtime after scoring to make it a three-point game with 29.2 seconds left before snaring a rebound with 6.7 seconds to go.
Jarred Vanderbilt added 15 points, Lauri Markkanen had 14 points and seven boards and Mike Conley tallied 11 points with eight assists.
The Jazz, who led most of the way, had an 84-80 lead after a Kelly Olynyk layup with 9:21 remaining.
Wood and Josh Green responded with 3s as the Mavericks went up 86-84, taking their first lead since the first quarter.
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Doncic hit a floater with 2:55 remaining for a six-point lead and then grabbed a key rebound. The NBA’s leading scorer has scored at least 31 in all seven Dallas games.
That feat makes Doncic just the third player in NBA history to record 30-plus points in each of the first seven games of the season, and the first to do it since Wilt Chamberlain in the 1962-63 season. Chamberlain also pulled it off in 1959-60, along with Jack Twyman the same season.
Utah made a final surge to pull within two after a Markkanen jumper with 58.6 left.
Reggie Bullock then picked a great time to hit his first shot, draining a 3-pointer with 35.5 seconds remaining to give the Mavs a 103-98 lead.
Doncic had a quiet first quarter with just five points, but he heated up in the second quarter and finished the half with 18. He tied the game at 47-47 with a drive late in the first half as Dallas surmounted a 14-point deficit.
The Jazz scored the final eight points of the first quarter for a 35-23 lead and went into halftime ahead 50-47 after a three-point play by Markkanen.
Clarkson fueled a 14-0 run for Utah in the third, but Dallas cut the lead to four heading into the fourth quarter.
