San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
DONCIC, DALLAS DEFEAT NETS
With one star back for Dallas and another one sidelined for Brooklyn, the NBA’S longest winning streak was halted rather easily.
Luka Doncic scored 27 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 18 in his return from injury and the Mavericks snapped the Nets’ eight-game run with a 11598 victory Saturday night in New York.
James Harden had 29 points for the Nets, but only four after halftime while playing as Brooklyn’s solo superstar with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving sidelined.
“Obviously, they had two great players out but he’s an amazing player. It’s very tough to stop him,” Doncic said. “We did a great job in the second half. I think it was way better.”
Durant missed his seventh straight game with a left hamstring strain and Irving rested his surgically repaired right shoulder. That took more than 56 points per game away from the NBA’S highest-scoring team and Brooklyn managed just 34 points after halftime.
“Look, I know they’re down a couple of superstars, but to hold them to 18 and 16 in the second half is pretty ... good,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said.
Porzingis missed last three games with lower back tightness and shook off his rust after halftime to help Dallas break open the game.
Leading by four at halftime, the Mavericks came out for the third quarter focused on throwing the ball inside to the 7-foot-3 Latvian, who has 7 inches on any starter in the Nets’ small-ball starting lineup. He responded with 10 points in the quarter, including a three-point play that capped an 11-2 spurt and pushed Dallas’ lead to 85-74.
It became 91-76 when Dorian Finney-smith blocked Harden’s
Mavericks 115, Nets 98
shot to lead to Tim Hardaway Jr.’s basket. Dallas put it away with 12 straight points early in the fourth, making it 106-84 and soon after Harden was removed for good.
“That second half we just didn’t have any legs,” Harden said.
Jalen Brunson scored 14 points for the Mavericks, who split games against the East’s top teams after losing at Philadelphia on Thursday, when they committed a season-high 22 turnovers. They had only nine Saturday.
Jazz 124, Magic 109: Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Joe Ingles filled in well again at point guard in place of Mike Conley to help Utah beat host Orlando. Ingles had 17 points, six assists and three 3-pointers. The Jazz are 7-0 this season when he starts at point guard in place of Conley, who was out with right hamstring injury management.
Cavaliers 112, 76ers 109 (OT): Collin Sexton scored 28 points, Darius Garland had 25 and visiting Cleveland beat Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia in overtime. Joel Embiid had 42 points and 13 rebounds for Philadelphia. Ben Simmons scored 24 points.
Wizards 128, Timberwolves 112: Bradley Beal scored 34 points, Russell Westbrook added 19 as part of his Nba-leading 10th triple-double, and host Washington used a 44-point third quarter to beat Minnesota. Westbrook added 14 rebounds and 12 assists for the Wizards.
Nuggets 126, Thunder 86: Jamal Murray continued his hot scoring with 26 points and Nikola Jokic had his eighth triple-double of the season to help visiting Denver rout Oklahoma City. Murray, averaging 30.1 points in his previous seven games, made 9 of 15 field goals and Denver shot 55 percent. Jokic had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists.
Spurs 117, Pelicans 114: Demar Derozan had 32 points and 11 assists and short-handed San Antonio held on to beat visiting New Orleans. Lamarcus Aldridge added 21 points off the bench in his second game back after missing six games because of a sore right hip.
Knicks 110, Pacers 107: Julius Randle had 28 points and 10 rebounds and host New York beat Indiana to get back to .500 at 1717. Doug Mcdermott had 20 points for Indiana. The Pacers have lost three straight.