Luka Doncic Drops 35 as Mavericks Beat Trail Blazers Despite Damian Lillard’s 34

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Luka Doncic scored 25 of his 35 points in the first half as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 120-112 on Friday at American Airlines Center.

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport

Luka took over vs. Portland 😤

35 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST
Career-high 8 3's https://t.co/uBckMmgJNZ

Doncic shot 11-of-23 from the field and 8-of-12 from three-point range in addition to his team-leading eight rebounds and seven assists.

He and Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard engaged in a first-half duel, with the Portland floor general scoring 23 points over the first two quarters. Lillard finished with 34 points and 10 assists to lead his team.

The Mavs and Blazers combined for 75 first-quarter points, but Dallas clamped down defensively in the second by holding Portland to just five points in the first five minutes. That cold spell helped the Mavericks lead by four or more points for the remainder of the game.

The win didn't come easily, however, as a 94-77 Mavs lead late in the third quarter whittled down to 104-100 after a bucket from Blazers big man Hassan Whiteside with 6:33 remaining in the game.

The Mavs got hot from three down the stretch, however, with triples from Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Seth Curry helping Dallas to an eight-point victory.

Dallas Mavericks @dallasmavs

Dagger. ✨

@luka7doncic | #MFFL

🗳️: https://t.co/RR73yykA1D

📺: https://t.co/23QShPpA0h https://t.co/eqFmkZGrRA

The difference in this game was beyond the three-point line, where Dallas (20-of-47) scored 33 more points than Portland (9-of-30). Portland dominated the paint, where the Blazers scored 62 points to Dallas' 30.

Tim Hardaway Jr. complemented Doncic's scoring effort with 29 points (5-of-8 from three-point range). Carmelo Anthony added 22 points for the Blazers, and Whiteside pitched in a 21-point, 18-rebound double-double alongside five blocks.

Portland was forced to play most of this one without CJ McCollum, who suffered a sprained left ankle in the second quarter after going up for a layup. He left the floor and did not return.

The Mavs played without big man Kristaps Porzingis, who sat his 10th straight game with right knee soreness.

“We hope this thing resolves,” head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters pregame (h/t Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News). “All I know is he’s out tonight and had a good day today.“

Porzingis has averaged 17.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

The 27-15 Mavs won their fourth straight game. The 18-25 Blazers lost their first matchup in three tries.

Notable Performances

Blazers PG Damian Lillard: 34 points, 10 assists

Blazers F Carmelo Anthony: 22 points, 5 rebounds

Blazers C Hassan Whiteside: 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks

Mavericks PG Luka Doncic: 35 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists

Mavericks G Tim Hardaway Jr.: 29 points, 4 rebounds

Mavericks G Seth Curry: 16 points, 4 rebounds

Hardaway's Efforts Propel Mavericks to Comfortable Win

The Blazers shot 51.3 percent from the field and did whatever they wanted in the paint thanks largely to big man Hassan Whiteside, who coasted to his double-double.

The shorthanded Mavs stood little chance in stopping the seven-footer sans the injured Kristaps Porzingis, so this game needed to be won from the outside.

Dallas had no problem doing just that en route to making 20 three-pointers.

Naturally, Luka Doncic got into the act by making eight triples, but he needed his teammates to step up.

They did, largely because of Tim Hardaway Jr.

The ex-New York Knick and Atlanta Hawk's 29 points came on an efficient 9-of-16 clip. Fifteen of those points occurred in the third quarter alone, which helped Dallas take a nine-point lead into the fourth.

Dallas Mavericks @dallasmavs

Timmy's got 11 points in the third quarter! 🔥

@T_HardJR | #MFFL

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Those points were huge considering Portland's late run to make this game far closer than it actually appeared. Without that cushion, the Lillard-led Blazers could have easily dispatched Dallas despite missing McCollum.

That wasn't the case, though, as the confident Hardaway served as the perfect sidekick to Doncic.

Hardaway's exploits haven't gone unnoticed, with Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com noting how important Hardaway was in the midst of the Blazers' offensive surge:

Eddie Sefko @ESefko

Blazers are hanging around just close enough to make the Mavericks sweat. But as long as Tim Hardaway Jr. keeps lighting it up, they should be just fine. His triple gives him 22 points and Mavs an 88-74 lead.

And Josh Eberley of HOOP gave credit to Hardaway's efforts this season:

Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 @JoshEberley

Tim Hardaway has been the most surprising really good player this season.

The Mavs are going to need Hardaway to excel as the team's tertiary scoring option behind Doncic and Porzingis if the Mavs are to make a deep playoff run.

He looks set to do just that in the spring based off his numbers entering Friday, with his 38.4 percent three-point rate standing as a career-best mark. His 42.8 percent field-goal rate is his best since 2016-17.

Blazers' Valiant Effort Sans McCollum Falls Just Short

This game had the makings of a blowout in the third quarter after a Doncic three-pointer put Dallas up 94-77 late in the third.

No one would have blamed the Blazers if they ended up losing by double-digits in a largely uncompetitive game. They lost McCollum just minutes into the second quarter due to a sprained left ankle and had very little success from outside the arc, where they shot just 30.0 percent.

But to the Blazers' credit, they chipped away at the lead to the point where the game was seriously in doubt well into the fourth quarter.

The runs in this game largely depended on when which team was dominating from their preferred area on the court. The Mavs lived from beyond the arc, and success there led them to a win.

Without McCollum, the Blazers lived in the paint and mid-range, and their wins helped engineer a 23-10 run that spanned the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth.

Whiteside, who parked under the basket, scored eight points during that stretch.

Portland Trail Blazers @trailblazers

Signed.
Sealed.
Delivered.

@youngwhiteside | #RipCity https://t.co/KrAqV1WSSE

He also issued this perfect dish to Anfernee Simons for an easy two:

Portland Trail Blazers @trailblazers

#21 finds #1.

@Moda_Health Assist of the Night 🎯 https://t.co/p80wu5sdSS

Carmelo Anthony, who's made a living in the mid-range for 16 seasons, added a pair of buckets. He also reached an important mid-game milestone:

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport

26K for Melo 🔥

Carmelo Anthony became only the 18th player in NBA history to reach 26,000 career points https://t.co/brkyrLlnHC

Those efforts helped put the Blazers in range of winning despite missing an All-Star (and second-leading scorer).

Ultimately, Dallas got hot again from beyond the arc, which enabled the Mavs to pull away with the win. But the Blazers showed tremendous fight in the midst of defeat.

What's Next?

The Blazers will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Saturday at 9 p.m.

The Mavs will host the Los Angeles Clippers at American Airlines Center on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.