NBA: Kyle Kuzma hits 36 points, Wizards take down Mavericks
Kyle Kuzma #33 of the Washington Wizards celebrates after scoring against the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at Capital One Arena on November 10, 2022 in Washington, DC. Rob Carr/Getty Images/AFP
Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 36 points to go along with 11 rebounds and six assists to fuel the Washington Wizards’ 113-105 victory over the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.
Kuzma made 14 of 26 shots from the floor, including 5 of 11 from 3-point range.
Rui Hachimura sank 9 of 14 attempts to highlight his 23-point performance off the bench. Hachimura added eight rebounds while playing just 26 minutes to propel Washington to its second win following a 1-5 stretch.
Will Barton collected 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Wizards, who played without Bradley Beal (health and safety protocol), former Maverick Kristaps Porzingis (left groin strain), Delon Wright (right hamstring strain) and Taj Gibson (cervical strain).
Kyle Kuzma lit it up in the @WashWizards victory!@kylekuzma: 36 PTS, 11 REB, 6 AST, 5 3PM pic.twitter.com/ppgisdxNPW
— NBA (@NBA) November 11, 2022
Dallas’ Spencer Dinwiddie finished with 33 points after making 11 of 17 shots from the floor — including 7 of 12 from 3-point range. He was acquired by Dallas along with Davis Bertans from Washington on Feb. 10 in exchange for Porzingis and a second-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Luka Doncic recorded 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and Tim Hardaway Jr. made five 3-pointers and finished with 16 points off the bench for the Mavericks, who have lost two in a row following a four-game winning streak.
Kuzma sank three 3-pointers as Washington scored 13 of the first 16 points of the fourth quarter to seize a 100-86 lead. Hardaway drained a 3-pointer to bring Dallas as close as nine points with 3:03 to play, but Barton answered from beyond the arc on the next possession.
Barton sank a free throw after Doncic was whistled for his third technical foul of the season late in the third quarter. He followed that up with a 3-pointer, and Kuzma drained a mid-range jumper to stake Washington to an 87-82 lead.
Dallas saw an early 14-point lead evaporate after Barton drained a 19-foot jumper to give Washington a brief 40-39 lead early in the second quarter. The Mavericks regained the advantage and led by six points after a dunk by Maxi Kleber, but Hachimura’s three-point play halved the deficit at halftime.
