DALLAS, TX – The Dallas Mavericks (27-25) beat the Detroit Pistons (13-39) 111-105 in Dallas on Monday night. Luka Dončić led the Mavs to a victory with 53 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in his return from his sprained ankle. Dončić is the third player to record five or more 50 plus point games in a season. Michael Jordan and LeBron James being the other two players to do it before Dončić.
Four of Dončić’s five career 50-point games have come this season. He scored a career-best 60 against the New York Knicks in a game that went to overtime on Dec. 27.
Dallas rallied in the fourth quarter and with the help of Spencer Dinwiddie who scored 10 of his 12 in the fourth helped the Mavs in the win over Detroit.
Doncic scored 24 points in the first quarter and 18 points in the third. He shot 17-of-24 from the floor and 5-of-11 from beyond the arc.
Detroit led by 11 in the third quarter and 84-83 going into the fourth. Dallas opened the period on a 9-2 run with Doncic on the bench, as Dinwiddie scored six points on his first three field goals of the game.
The Pistons have only won 13 games this season and even though the Mavs won it was a little too close for comfort to a team that is clearly struggling in the league.
Head coach Jason Kidd talked after the game about Doncic’s return from his ankle injury, “I think we were connected. I think sometimes when someone comes back you tend to wait. Spencer (Dinwiddie), after the last two games, was playing at a high level.”
Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons had 29 points, Saddiq Bey scored 18 points, including five three pointers.
Dallas will have the next three days off until they play the New Orleans Pelicans at home in AAC on Thursday night. Tip off is at 7:30 PM.
