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SPORTS Monday 11 February 2019
Doncic, Mavericks erase deficit

in 102-101 win over Blazers

By SCHUYLER DIXON icks still want to make the the game-ending 21-5 run
AP Sports Writer playoffs after trading the by tipping in his own miss
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Don- other four starters around and finished with 11 points
cic was summoned back Doncic in a pair of deals and six boards.
to the court for a very that were clearly about the TIP-INS
brief speech to a group of future over the present. Blazers: McCollum was just
about 100 Slovenians who Three of the starters went 6 of 17 from the field and
made the 24-hour trek to to New York, and the Mav- finished with 14 points, end-
see their countryman, the ericks have decided not ing his career-best streak of
teenage rookie sensation to play the centerpiece three straight games with
for the Dallas Mavericks. of that deal. They instead at least 30 points. ... Seth
The bigger thrill for the visi- plan to let 2018 All-Star Kri- Curry scored four points
tors came a little earlier staps Porzingis continue his against his former team.
when Doncic helped en- recovery from a knee injury The Mavericks had inter-
gineer a fourth-quarter sustained about a year ago est in bringing back Curry
comeback against the with the Knicks.Hardaway this season as a key 3-point
playoff-contending Port- was the second-biggest threat after he missed the
land Trail Blazers. part of the deal for Dallas, 2017-18 season with a stress
Doncic scored 13 of his and had his best showing fracture in his lower left leg.
28 points in the fourth, in his third game. With the Mavericks: C Salah Mejri Portland Trail Blazers' Rodney Hood (5) defends as Dallas Mav-
Tim Hardaway Jr. finished intensity of the rally build- was re-signed three days ericks forward Luka Doncic (77) drives to the basket for a shot in
with 24 and the Mavericks ing, he won a scramble for after being waived as part the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, Feb.
erased a 15-point deficit a loose ball and weaved of the trade that sent Harri- 10, 2019.
in the final 10 minutes for a through defenders for an son Barnes to Sacramento. Associated Press
102-101 victory Sunday. emphatic left-handed
"I don't normally play him dunk to get Dallas within
the whole quarter, but one.
when we began to make Doncic gave the Maver-
the push early in the fourth icks their first lead since
it was just one those times early in the second quar-
where he was going to ter with a finger-roll layup,
have to finish for us to have then the 19-year-old put
a chance," said coach them ahead for good with
Rick Carlisle, whose team a 3-point play on a driving
matched its biggest come- layup for a 102-99 lead with
back of the season. 1:28 remaining.
Damian Lillard scored 21 of After CJ McCollum made a
his 30 points in the last half shot, the teams exchanged
of the third quarter to help misses before Lillard's last-
the Blazers build a lead that second attempt in the third
grew to 96-81 early in the loss in the past 10 games for
fourth before the Maver- Portland.
icks mounted their rally. "I just think it's a message
Lillard made eight straight because they're a team
shots and in one stretch that's below .500 right
scored 16 straight Portland now," Lillard said. "They just
points in the third, but the had a trade. They got all
All-Star guard missed his new guys and things like
last four attempts as the that, and it's a game that
Blazers went 10:10 without we should be able to win."
a field goal in a nine-point Justuf Nurkic had 18 points
fourth quarter. on 9-of-11 shooting and 10
The last miss from Lillard was rebounds before fouling
a driving layup in the final out when Hardaway got
seconds after Doncic had the Mavericks to 97-all on
missed at the other end, free throws. They had been
and Dallas' Maxi Kleber even at 67 in the third be-
hunched over with the re- fore Lillard took over and
bound and hung on long gave the Blazers a comfort-
enough for time to expire. able lead.
"Some missed opportuni- Dwight Powell had 13 points
ties, some turnovers, some and eight rebounds, in-
poor decisions, and you cluding an alley-oop dunk
have got to give Dallas a lot from Doncic that kicked
of credit," Portland coach the comeback into anoth-
Terry Stotts said. "They play er gear while getting Dallas
with a lot of energy." within six. Doncic had nine
There is plenty of debate rebounds and six assists.
over whether the Maver- Dorian Finney-Smith started