On Saturday night, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 131-120. Luka Doncic posted a triple-double with 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Doncic completed the triple-double in the third quarter after accumulating 30 points in the first half. He has recorded 61 triple-doubles in his career and five this season.
“Everyone is affected; it’s not just me.” “Every single one of my teammates assisted me in reaching that point.” Doncic declared. “I went all out in the first half because I was not being doubled. They doubled me in the second half, so we simply adjusted our play accordingly.”
Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed to Dallas’s total of 25 points, while Derrick Jones Jr. and Dante Exum each scored 18.
Doncic gushed, “It’s incredible” regarding his supporting cast. “I, too, am able to do some slumber. The court is expansive and the game is 4-on-3 basketball; therefore, we amass a substantial number of points. There were numerous open opportunities available. “I enjoy it when they double me up.”
Anfernee Simons led Portland with 31 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Jerami Grant made his return to basketball with 27 points in his inaugural contest subsequent to a four-game absence due to a concussion.
“It felt good to be back out there, but I wish we would have got the win,” Grant declared. “We let Luka have a lot of easy ones and then we had to make an adjustment.”
Following a sluggish first quarter in which Mavericks starter center Dereck Lively was sidelined with a left ankle injury, the Mavericks defeated Portland 38-24 in the second.
“There is a great deal of trust and character in that locker room,” said Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd. “When you have a leader like that, it’s easy to follow.”
With Doncic’s 22 points in the first half, the Trail Blazers led the game 39-36 heading into the second. Doncic was assessed a technical penalty for shooting the ball well after the buzzer had expired, but the call was subsequently overturned by the officials.
Dallas held a 74-63 halftime lead.
