Sun, Jan 28, 2024 page7

• Doncic scores 73 as Mavericks defeat Hawks

  • AFP, LOS ANGELES
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  Luka Doncic on Friday matched the fourth-highest scoring performance in NBA history, pouring in 73 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 148-143 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

  A masterful individual performance saw the Slovenian star set a Mavs record of 41 first-half points, with the scorching run continuing in the second half as Dallas kept the determined Hawks at bay.

  Doncic added 10 rebounds and seven assists. He connected on 25 of 33 shots from the floor — including eight three-pointers — and made 15 of his 16 free throws.

  

  The Dallas Mavericks’ Josh Green, left, and Dejounte Murray, center, of the Atlanta Hawks vie for the ball as Dallas’ Luka Doncic hits the floor during their NBA game in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday.

  Photo: AP

  Doncic ranked the performance “probably at the top” in his career, but with the Mavs coming in on a three-game losing streak he was just focused on getting a victory.

  “We’ve been struggling lately,” he said. “Mindset was: Get a win. I was just going, you know, whatever the defense give me.”

  “In the second half, they doubled me all the time, so I tried to make some plays,” he added.

  

  The Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, left, goes to the basket as Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks defends during their NBA game in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday.

  Photo: AP

  His sensational performance spoiled the return of Trae Young, who led the Hawks with 30 points after missing two games in concussion protocol.

  Doncic’s franchise-record effort pushed him into elite NBA territory. Only Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant have scored more points in a game, Chamberlain with the league record 100 in 1962 and Bryant with 81 in 2006.

  Chamberlain also owns a 78-point performance and two of 73 — a number also reached by David Thompson and, now, Doncic.

  Mavs coach Jason Kidd said it was something “extra special” from a player who comes up special on a regular basis.

  “What he does on the court is different than anybody else,” Kidd said, adding that Doncic’s ability to keep feeding his teammates amid his own red-hot scoring made the victory possible.

  “His ability to make shots, create shots, find open guys — he did that at a high level tonight,” Kidd said, adding that he never feared Doncic’s hot hand would pull the Mavs out of their game plan.

  “He is the game plan,” Kidd said.

  The Hawks had pulled within three points with less than two minutes to play, but Doncic drove for a layup, drew a foul and converted the free throw to help push the lead back to seven with 58 seconds left.

  A Young basket cut the deficit to three with 10 seconds to play, but Tim Hardaway Jr made a pair of free throws to seal it for the Mavs, who were without the injured Kyrie Irving.

  Doncic’s 25 baskets were a career high and he crushed his own franchise record of 60 points, set against the New York Knicks on December 27, 2022.

  Doncic’s effort came less than a week after Joel Embiid poured in 70 in the Philadelphia 76ers win over the San Antonio Spurs and it was not the only eye-popping outburst of the night.

  However, Phoenix guard Devin Booker’s 62-point performance came in a losing effort as the Indiana Pacers triumphed 133-131 to halt the Suns’ seven-game winning streak.

  They led by as many as 17, but the Pacers had tied it up with less than a minute to play and Obi Toppin’s putback basket off a Pascal Siakam miss sealed the victory as Booker could not get his three-pointer to fall as time expired.

  It was Booker’s second game this season of 50 or more points after a 52-point showing against the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this month. He had a career-high 70 against the Boston Celtics in 2017.

  Siakam scored 31 points, leading six Pacers players in double figures as Indiana notched a second straight win.

  Elsewhere, Jaren Jackson scored 30 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Memphis Grizzlies, who saw a double-digit lead evaporate, but held on for a 107-106 victory over the Orlando Magic.

  Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points to propel the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 112-100 victory over the Bucks in Milwaukee.

  James Harden racked up 22 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists for his first triple-double of the season as the visiting Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Toronto Raptors 127-107.

  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder won their fifth consecutive game by shutting down hosts the Pelicans 107-83.

  Jalen Green scored 36 points as the Houston Rockets broke out of a funk with a 138-104 road victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

  Jeremy Sochan poured in 31 points and took a career-high 14 rebounds in the San Antonio Spurs’ 116-100 victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers.

  Additional reporting by Reuters
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