Field Level Media
Nov 22, 2019
Luka Doncic collected 30 points and 14 assists as the Dallas Mavericks recorded a sweep of their four-game homestand with a convincing 143-101 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
Doncic, who shot 11 of 18 from the floor before sitting out the fourth quarter, became the eighth Mavericks player to score 30-plus points in three straight games.
The last such player to accomplish the feat was Dirk Nowitzki (2010), who received a standing ovation from the crowd after being shown on the Jumbotron during the first quarter. Nowitzki, who was sitting next to owner Mark Cuban and spotted with former teammates Shawn Marion and Michael Finley, was making his first visit to American Airlines Center since retiring after last season.
Nowitzki saw quite a performance from the home team, which surpassed 140 points for the second consecutive game. Justin Jackson had 19 points and Kristaps Porzingis scored 17 and added four blocks while playing in his 200th career game.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had 16 points in just 18 minutes for Dallas, which had seven players finish in double-digit scoring to complete a two-game season sweep of Cleveland. The Mavericks posted a 131-111 victory over the Cavaliers on Nov. 3.
Darius Garland highlighted his 23-point performance with five 3-pointers and Cedi Osman chipped in with 18 points for Cleveland, which has lost six in a row.
Dallas scored the last five points of the first quarter and began the second with a 19-3 run to build a 48-29 lead. Jackson drained a pair of 3-pointers to highlight his nine-point run in that stretch, however it was Porzingis' rejection of Tristan Thompson's layup attempt and subsequent Maxi Kleber dunk at the other end that drew the biggest response from the crowd.
The Mavericks kept humming along, shooting 53.8 percent from the floor and 50 percent (8 of 16) from 3-point range to seize a 66-42 lead at halftime.
The third quarter saw more of the same, with Doncic calmly sinking a step-back 3-pointer to stake Dallas to an 80-48 advantage.
Garland answered by sandwiching 3-pointers around Thompson's hook shot, but Dallas stemmed the tide as Porzingis converted Doncic's alley-oop pass to ignite another run. The Mavericks erupted for 45 points in the quarter to claim a 111-71 advantage before putting it on cruise control in the fourth.
--Field Level Media