NBA: Luka Doncic scores 38 to lead Mavericks past Thunder
FILE – Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after scoring against the LA Clippers in the second half at American Airlines Center on November 15, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. Tom Pennington/Getty Images/AFP
Luka Doncic scored 38 points, narrowly missing a triple-double, to lead the host Dallas Mavericks to a 121-114 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
Doncic added 11 rebounds and eight assists. Spencer Dinwiddie also was close to a triple-double, finishing with 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Mavericks and extended the Thunder’s losing streak to three.
Dallas hit 22 3-pointers, their second most of the season, with Tim Hardaway Jr. leading the Mavericks with six.
Luka & Shai put on a HIGH POWERED scoring duel in Dallas 💥@luka7doncic: 38 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST@shaiglalex: 42 PTS, 3 STL pic.twitter.com/5Lss9P1Hnc
— NBA (@NBA) December 13, 2022
Hardaway finished with 20 points.
The Mavericks needed a big offensive performance, as Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tied a career high with 42 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a flurry, with six points and an assist in the final 2:03 to cut the Dallas lead to five with 28.1 seconds remaining.
But Reggie Bullock hit a pair of free throws and Maxi Kleber had a steal late to clinch the game for the Mavericks.
The Mavericks dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Thunder 43-24 to take a 66-52 lead into the break.
Dallas hit 10 3-pointers in the quarter, four from Hardaway.
The Mavericks ended the quarter on a 15-5 run, which included a pair of three-point plays by Doncic and a pair of 3-pointers by Bullock.
But Oklahoma City got back into the game, cutting the deficit to five by late in the third thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander’s big quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 17 points in the third, hitting 6 of 10 from the field. He finished 14 of 23 from the floor.
Jalen Williams added 17 points for Oklahoma City. The Thunder outscored Dallas 52-32 in the paint.
Oklahoma City missed its first five shots, falling behind 12-0 in the game’s first four minutes.
The Thunder’s Jeremiah Robinson-Earl left the game early in the fourth quarter after rolling his right ankle and did not return.
