Luka Doncic made a notable comeback from a wrist injury, scoring 36 points in the Dallas Mavericks’ 137-131 win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.
In addition to his scoring, Doncic contributed 13 assists, propelling the Mavericks to their fourth consecutive victory.
The team played without Kyrie Irving, who had scored 30 points in a previous game against the Utah Jazz but was sidelined due to a sore shoulder.
Also missing for the Mavericks were Klay Thompson (left foot), Dereck Lively II (right knee), and Naji Marshall (illness).
Anfernee Simons led the Trail Blazers with 27 points, impressively netting 24 of those in the third quarter.
Dallas surged ahead with a 112-101 lead after a three-pointer by Spencer Dinwiddie in the fourth quarter.
However, the Blazers fought back to tie the game at 127, thanks to Deni Avdija’s three-point play with less than two minutes remaining.
P.J. Washington quickly responded with a 3-pointer from the baseline for Dallas, and Portland was unable to regain the lead after that.
In the first quarter, the Trail Blazers had a 10-point advantage, but the Mavericks dwindled that lead down by halftime, going into the break with a narrow 61-58 lead.
In the third quarter, Quentin Grimes’ dunk helped extend Dallas’ lead to 79-67, and they maintained a slim 100-97 lead heading into the final quarter.
In a notable incident, Mavericks center Daniel Gafford was accidentally struck in the face during the first quarter; he received treatment on the court before heading to the locker room but subsequently made a return to the game.
For the Trail Blazers, rookie Scoot Henderson missed his third straight game due to a left quad contusion.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Doncic ended the first half with consecutive three-pointers and a 17-foot jumper, giving his team a slight edge at halftime.
Simons’ performance was remarkable, as he scored 24 of his 27 points in the third quarter, just four points shy of the team record for most points in a single quarter.
Looking ahead, the Mavericks will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, while the Trail Blazers will visit the Los Angeles Clippers on the same night.
