Cleveland @ Dallas preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 3, 2019 ) Dallas 131, Cleveland 111

Luka Doncic is making history with each game and is pulling the Dallas Mavericks to wins in three straight games. Doncic will try to post another high-scoring triple-double when the Mavericks finish off a four-game homestand by hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Doncic joined LeBron James as the only players to post a 40-point triple-double under the age of 21 when he turned the trick in Monday's 117-110 win over the San Antonio Spurs and followed that by recording a 30-point triple-double in the least amount of court time in NBA history when he collected 35 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in 25 minutes against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. "Look, he's a very special player on a special roll," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters of Doncic. "There's not much else to say. This isn't a big newsflash now. This is getting to be pretty normal." Doncic could have his way against the Cavaliers, who dropped their last five games and allowed the Miami Heat to bury 19 3-pointers in a 124-100 loss on Wednesday. "We can’t guard anybody, individually," Cleveland forward Larry Nance Jr. told reporters. "We haven't taken the challenge in a long time to stop your man one-on-one. We get driven past on the perimeter and that leads to drop-offs, lobs and all that stuff. And that's both guards and bigs. At some point we need to take the challenge, at some point we have to get sick of getting 120 put on our heads and man up."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cleveland0, FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (4-10): Cleveland is trying to develop the young perimeter trio of Collin Sexton, Darius Garland and Cedi Osman but benched all three to start the third quarter on Wednesday. "It was to try to get back in the game," Cavaliers coach John Beilein told reporters about making the change out of the half. "That's like four straight games. We're way down - 13 down - at the end of the first quarter. Do the math on that and it's a 52-point loss. Couldn't keep going that way." Sexton finished with 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting, but Garland and Osman combined to go 5-of-18 from the floor on Wednesday.

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (9-5): Doncic scored 33 points in the first half on Wednesday while recording his seventh triple-double of the season but remains focused on team goals. "I'm glad we're winning games. That's all," Doncic told reporters after Wednesday's 142-94 drubbing of the Warriors. "We've got three in a row, and we've just got to keep going like that." Doncic scored at least 33 points in four of the last five games and ranks fourth in the NBA while averaging 29.5 points.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Mavericks SG Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting Wednesday after totaling four points on 2-of-16 in the previous two contests.

2. Cavaliers C Tristan Thompson (rest) sat out Wednesday but is expected to be back in the lineup Friday.

3. Doncic collected 29 points, 14 rebounds and 15 assists in a 131-111 home win over Cleveland on Nov. 5.

PREDICTION: Mavericks 128, Cavaliers 116