LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Luka Doncic delivered a 41-point triple-double to power the Dallas Mavericks to a 116-113 victory over NBA champions Golden State on Tuesday in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals.
Dallas’ Slovenian star added 12 rebounds and 12 assists in the victory ‒ his 51st career triple-double and his fifth this season.
The Mavs, who fell to the Warriors in five games in last season’s conference finals, needed every bit of the “Luka Magic.”
Although they jumped to a quick 23-6 lead, the Warriors had cut the deficit to one point at halftime thanks in large part to the efforts of their bench, who outscored the Mavs reserves, 43-29.
Doncic scored 13 points in the third quarter, but the Mavs still couldn’t shake Warriors, the lead changing hands six times in the action-packed fourth that ended with the Mavs snapping a four-game losing streak.
Stephen Curry scored 32 points for Golden State, including a three-pointer over Maxi Kleber for a 110-108 lead with 2:09 to play.
But Doncic fed Tim Hardaway for a three-pointer and blocked a Curry attempt before teammate Josh Green banked in a shot and the Mavericks took the lead for good.
Hardaway scored 22 points for the Mavericks and Spencer Dinwiddie added 14 before he was ejected for a flagrant foul after an elbow to the face of Jordan Poole early in the fourth.
New York’s Julius Randle celebrated his 28th birthday with a season-high 36 points as the Knicks trounced the Pistons, 140-110, in Detroit.
“I’m getting old,” Randle quipped in a post-game interview with MSG Network after a standout performance that included seven rebounds, five assists and a steal. “I’ve got to cherish these games.”
Quentin Grimes, Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett scored 16 points apiece for the Knicks and Immanuel Quickley added 15 off the bench.
The Knicks had lost four of their previous five contests, but stretched their winning streak against Detroit to 11 games.
The Pistons, who haven’t beaten the Knicks since January of 2020, were led by 19 points from Isaiah Stewart, who was back in action after missing seven games with a sprained toe.
Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanovic scored 13 in his return from injury, but two regular Pistons starters, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Ivey, were sidelined.
The Pistons put together a 20-9 run to take a 45-44 lead with 8:09 left in the second quarter.
The Knicks responded with a 24-8 run to take a 70-56 lead at halftime.
They out-scored the Pistons 38-21 in the third, which Randle opened with three baskets — one of them a dunk that Stewart took exception to, giving Randle a shove to earn a technical foul.
The Knicks led 108-77 going into the fourth quarter, which Randle and the rest of the Knicks starters watched from the bench.
