Rookie, Mavs stun Warriors
DALLAS — Luka Doncic gave the Dallas Mavericks a glimpse of an exciting future — and extended a bad week for the Golden State Warriors.
The rookie scored 24 points, including a short jumper that put Dallas in front for good, and the Mavericks beat the Warriors 112-109 on Saturday night.
The 19-year-old from Slovenia arrived in the NBA having led Real Madrid to the 2018 Euro League title. On Saturday, he hit a 10-footer in the lane with 1:10 left to put Dallas up 109-108, then sealed the game with two free throws with seven seconds remaining.
"I've been doing this when I was in Madrid, too," Doncic said. "I love the lastminute shot. (But) of course it's different. It's the NBA. It's the best league in the world."
Golden State played without injured starters Stephen Curry and Draymond Green and lost for the fourth time in six games. The Warriors dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season, and Saturday they led by eight points in the second half before the Mavs rallied.
Kevin Durant scored 32 points, but only three in the fourth quarter on 1-for-7 shooting. Klay Thompson added 22 for the two-time defending NBA champions. Durant missed two shots and Thompson one in the final minute, all of which could have either tied the game or put Golden State ahead.
"You don't set NBA records being frustrated," Thompson said. "I'm not going to go over here and dwell on missing a couple of shots, missing a game-tying shot this early in the season."
Harrison Barnes had 23 points for the Mavericks, who have won four in a row. It was just the second time Dallas has beaten Golden State in their past 19 meetings, the other coming on Dec. 30, 2015 — one of only nine games the Warriors lost that regular season.
An 8-0 Mavs run early in the fourth quarter, capped by Dwight Powell's three-point play, gave Dallas its first lead since early in the third quarter, 93-92, with 9:18 to play. After Golden State surged ahead again, the Mavericks hung tough and Dorian FinneySmith's fast-break layup put Dallas back up 107-106 with 1:45 remaining.
Jimmy Butler knocked down a 3-pointer as time expired in overtime, and the Philadelphia 76ers overcame a career-high 60 points from Kemba Walker to beat the Charlotte Hornets.
Butler's play in the final seconds was the difference.
He blocked Walker's shot and saved the ball to a teammate with 15 seconds left, setting the stage for his winning jumper from the top of the key over Dwayne Bacon.
Joel Embiid finished with 33 points and 11 rebounds and Ben Simmons had 23 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists as the 76ers defeated the Hornets for the third time this season. Butler had 15 points in his third game with his new team.
Nikola Vucevic had 36 points and 13 rebounds, D.J. Augustin added 22 points for Orlando.
Vucevic scored 24 points in the second half as Orlando led by as many as 21 and ended the Lakers' four-game winning streak.
Evan Fournier had 15 points and Terrence Ross scored 13 for the Magic, who have won four of five.
The Lakers got 22 points from LeBron James, 19 from Lance Stephenson and 17 from Brandon Ingram, but were down 15 early in the second half and never got closer than a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter as James sat on the bench. Anthony Davis scored 40 points to lead
New Orleans.
Davis followed up his 43-point performance in a 129-124 victory against New York on Friday night by leading a balanced scoring effort for New Orleans, which won for the fifth time in six games. Davis shot 10 for 20 from the field and converted 20 of 21 chances from the line.
Julius Randle had 21 points and 14 rebounds off the bench for the Pelicans. Nikola Mirotic had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Jrue Holiday overcame foul trouble to finish with 19 points and E'Twaun Moore
added 13 points.