HOUSTON (AP) — Luka Doncic scored a season-high 50 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, as the Dallas Mavericks held on to beat the Houston Rockets 112-106 on Friday night.
Doncic, who also had 10 assists and eight rebounds, was 17 of 30 on the field, including 6 of 12 on 3-pointers. It was Doncic’s second career 50-point game. He scored a career-high 51 against the Clippers on February 10, 2022.
Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans each scored 11 points for Dallas, who shot 45% and made 16 of 44 3s.
Jabari Smith Jr. finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds, Jalen Green added 23 points and eight rebounds, and Alperen Sengun had 19 points and eight rebounds for Houston, which lost its fifth consecutive game.
Kevin Porter Jr. scored 14 points and Kenyon Martin Jr. had 10 for the Rockets, who shot 46%.
Tied on 94 with 7 1/2 minutes remaining, the Mavs used an 11-3 run to open an eight-point lead on a 3-pointer from Doncic, who blew a kiss to the crowd. The Rockets responded with seven consecutive points to cut the lead to 105-104 on Sengun’s layup with 3:13 left.
After Bertans hit a 3 to take the lead to four, Smith cut the lead to two with a jumper with 1 ½ minutes left. The two teams traded turnovers and missed shots before Doncic scored a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to give the Mavs a five-point lead.
Houston erased a 16-point deficit in the second quarter to beat the Mavs 33-15 in the span of nine minutes of the second and third quarters to take a 69-67 lead on a 3-pointer by Smith with 6:15 left. the third.
TIP INS
Mavericks: Dorian Finney-Smith missed his second game in a row with a right adductor strain. … Kemba Walker dropped out of the line-up on Friday night due to recovery from a left knee injury. … Reggie Bullock left the game in the third quarter with neck pain.
Rockets: Garrison Mathews (sickness) returned to the lineup on Friday after missing the last three games. He was scoreless in 12 minutes. … Jae’Sean Tate (ankle) could return soon, coach Stephen Silas said. “I don’t have a timetable, days or anything, but it seems like it’s getting closer to the days than the weeks,” Silas said. … Eric Gordon dropped out of the line-up on Friday with a bruised left thumb.
NEXT ONE
Mavericks: Host the Lakers on Sunday to begin a three-game homestand.
Rockets: Monday in Chicago to begin a three-game road trip.
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