Doncic, Hardaway Jr. Lead Mavs To 137-123 Rout Of Rockets
HOUSTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Luka Doncic scored 41 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. added a season-high 31 and the Dallas Mavericks never trailed in a 137-123 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday.
The Mavericks scored 45 points in the first quarter and were up 78-60 at halftime. Hardaway had 19 in the half, Doncic 17 and Kristaps Porzingis 15.
The Dallas-based team has won five straight, scoring at least 137 in the last three. Houston has lost three straight after winning eight in a row.
Dwight Powell helped push the lead to 11 early in the fourth quarter after making a dunk. Houston used a 6-0 run after that shot to get to 110-105 with 9 minutes to go.
Doncic ended the run with a jump shot, but Russell Westbrook added a basket seconds later to cut it to five again.
Dallas was still up by 5 later in the quarter before scoring the next five points, with a dunk from Hardaway, to make it 119-109 midway through period, and Houston didn't get close again.
James Harden had 32 points for Houston but was just 2 of 15 on 3-pointers in a game where the Rockets made 10 of 44 3-point attempts.
The Mavericks had extended the lead to 16 later in the fourth when Doncic scored six points in a row, capped by a 3-pointer to make it 132-113 with about 3 1/2 minutes to go.
Dallas led by 20 in the third quarter before Houston scored the next seven points, with a 3-pointer from P.J. Tucker, to get within 89-76 with about seven minutes left in the third.
The Mavericks were up by 16 later in the third after two free throws by Dorian Finney-Smith before Tucker made consecutive baskets to cut the lead to 103-91.
Harden added two free throws, but Hardaway made a jump shot seconds later to make it 105-93.
Westbrook made a basket to wrap up the third quarter and cut the lead to 10 entering the fourth.
The Mavericks are now 11-5 and will play against the Clippers Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
