Mavericks blow past Timberwolves with highest-scoring half in 11 years
Luka Doncic played the last home game of his career as a 20-year-old on Monday night.
The Dallas Mavericks guard turns 21 on Friday when the team takes on the Heat in Miami. The Mavs start their four-game road trip against the San Antonio Spurs at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Doncic, who was back after missing Saturday’s game in Atlanta with a sore ankle, celebrated his last home game under legal drinking age with 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists (in just 25 minutes) in a 139-123 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at American Airlines Center.
Dallas had a season-high for any half with 81 points and led by as many as 22 in the first half. It was the most points in a half for Dallas since April 5, 2009.
There was no squandering of the lead this time (they let a 16-point lead evaporate in Saturday’s loss in Atlanta). Even without Doncic playing in the fourth quarter, the Mavs pulled away and held off the T’wolves behind Tim Hardaway Jr. and Seth Curry who had 23 and 19 points.
Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said players such as Hardaway “don’t grow on trees.”
Hardaway thanked his coach for the words and said when Doncic and Porzingis are on the bench he feeds off the chemistry he has with the Mavs’ second unit of players.
“I’m just here to have fun and play basketball,” said Hardaway, who made 8 of 14 shots. “I’m here to make [Doncic’s] life easier, make KP’s life easier. That goes with me being vocal out there on the floor and knocking down my shots once they’re given to me, and once I’m doing that, everything else takes care of itself.”
Doncic has reached 2,500 points, 1,000 rebounds and 750 assists in 118 games. LeBron James is the only player younger than Doncic to reach those milestones at an earlier age (20 years, 110 days). Only Oscar Robertson reached those numbers in fewer games (93) than Doncic.
Doncic said his teammates besides Porzingis deserve more credit for the Mavs’ record.
“Obviously, people talk about me and KP,” he said. “They don’t talk about other players and what they do for this team, like Seth, Tim, and Delon [Wright]. Everybody. We’re a whole team together and they should be talked about more. [Hardaway] brings a lot. You all can see. He’s probably one of the best catch-and-shoot guys in the league. He’s really underrated.”
Dallas led 40-27 after the first quarter and 81-65 at the half behind Doncic’s 15 points, four rebounds and six assists.
This story was originally published February 24, 2020 at 10:00 PM.
