Luka Doncic posts triple-double for Dallas Mavericks in first career win over Kings
Luka Doncic has done many wondrous things since coming to the NBA last season, but he did something new on Wednesday. He beat the Kings, who passed on him to select Marvin Bagley III with the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Doncic posted a triple-double to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 127-123 victory over the Kings at Golden 1 Center. Doncic was 0-4 in his career against the Kings despite averaging 24 points, 8.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists in his first four games against them.
Doncic finished with 25 points, a career-high 17 assists and 15 rebounds for the Mavericks (26-15). Seth Curry scored 21 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 18 for Dallas.
De’Aaron Fox had 27 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds for the Kings (15-26). Buddy Hield had 25 points. Harrison Barnes posted 25 points and eight rebounds.
The teams combined to take 104 shots in an entertaining first half that featured 10 ties and nine lead changes. The Mavericks went up 33-26 on a 3-pointer by Curry late in the first quarter. The Kings battled back to take a 47-43 lead on a step-back 3-pointer by Fox with 7:57 to play in the second, but the Mavericks went into the locker room with a 71-67 advantage at the break.
Doncic had 11 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in the first half. He nearly matched those numbers in the third quarter, putting up 11 points, six rebounds and six assists to help the Mavericks open up a big lead.
Dallas outscored Sacramento 12-3 to start the second half. The Mavericks went up 83-70 on a basket by Doncic and extended their lead to 16 on a putback by Dorian Finney-Smith.
The Kings trailed by 15 going into the fourth quarter. They staged a 14-6 run over the final 3:20 to get within three, but free throws by Doncic and Curry helped the Mavericks hold on.
Lineup change
Kings coach Luke Walton made a change to his lineup, starting Bagley at center instead of Harry Giles III. Bagley finished with 12 points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes.
Bagley returned in Monday’s loss to the Orlando Magic after missing the previous eight games with a sprained foot. He finished with 18 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots in 23 minutes against the Magic. Bagley remained on an unspecified minutes restriction Wednesday, but Walton chose to start him against the Mavericks following his performance against Orlando.
“I was impressed with a lot, but I just thought his overall energy and the way he was communicating coverages (was good),” Walton said following the morning shootaround. “Those are things that are going to be huge for us as we get better and he continues to grow as a player. He’s been doing a much better job of it on the practice court, but to see him actually go out in a game and do it and kind of bring that type of emotion and energy to the court was big for us.”
Injury watch
Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic and center Richaun Holmes were out again due to injuries. Bogdanovic missed his sixth game in a row with a sore right ankle. Holmes missed his fourth game with an injury to his right shoulder joint.
Bogdanovic was a limited participant in Wednesday’s morning shootaround. He was seen playing one-on-one with Yogi Ferrell and Caleb Swanigan following the workout. The Kings still haven’t provided a return date for Bogdanovic, who is averaging 14.5 points, 3.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds.
Holmes was also seen on the court following the shootaround. He worked with assistant coaches, putting up short-range shots with both hands from various spots on the floor. The Kings said on Sunday Holmes would be reevaluated in two to three weeks. He is averaging 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds.
Injury report
Mavericks: OUT — Ryan Broekhoff (fibula), Kristaps Porzingis (knee).
Kings: OUT — Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle), Richaun Holmes (shoulder).
Kings upcoming schedule
Jan. 15 vs. Dallas Mavericks
Jan. 18 at Utah, 6 p.m.
Jan. 20 at Miami, 2 p.m.
Jan. 22 at Detroit, 4 p.m.
Jan. 24 at Chicago, 5 p.m.
Jan. 27 at Minnesota, 5 p.m.
This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 9:30 PM.
