Mavs' Doncic Gets 7th Triple-Double In Loss To Kings 125-121
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Dallas Mavericks' rookie Luka Doncic nabbed his seventh triple-double of the season in the team's loss to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.
Buddy Hield put Sacramento in front for good with a 3-pointer. Young backcourt mate De'Aaron Fox kept the Kings there.
Fox's 23 points included a crucial basket for a four-point lead in the final minute not long after Hield's go-ahead 3-pointer, and the Kings beat the Dallas Mavericks 125-121 on Tuesday night.
With the Kings leading by two, Fox drove and missed a layup but got his own rebound and tried again . The second driving attempt went in for a 121-117 lead with 26 seconds remaining as Sacramento finished 3-0 against Mavericks, sweeping the season series for the first time since 1997-98.
The pair combined for 22 points in the fourth quarter after they had just nine at halftime. Hield scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, including a 3-pointer to put the Kings ahead for good with 1:07 remaining.
"Just guys that want to step up in those moments," said Fox, who was 11 of 12 from the line to offset a 6-of-16 shooting night. "You got a lot of guys in here that want to take that big shot. We were able to do it today."
Doncic tied Magic Johnson with his seventh triple-double in his first season, getting 28 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. It's the third-most triple-doubles by a rookie.
Marvin Bagley III, taken one pick ahead of Doncic at No. 2 overall in last year's draft, scored 14 points for the Kings after coach Dave Joerger said before the game, "He's the rookie of the year, on my roster." Doncic is considered the front-runner for the award.
Doncic's 3-point slump continued as he missed all nine from beyond the arc. He's shooting 22 percent in March. The 20-year-old was 10 of 11 from the free-throw line, where he has also struggled lately.
Harrison Barnes scored 18 points in his first appearance at American Airlines Center since the Mavericks traded him to Sacramento while he was playing in a game on his old home court Feb. 6.
The Mavericks are now 29-45 on the season and are 14th in the Western Conference.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)