Doncic triple-double leads Mavericks past Raptors

TORONTO – Luka Doncic had a triple-double to help the Mavericks fend off the Toronto Raptors 125-118 on Saturday as Dallas won its seventh straight game.

Doncic had 30 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists as Dallas (16-8) moved ahead of the idle Houston Rockets for second in the Western Conference.

Kyrie Irving added 29 points and Klay Thompson had 20 as the Mavericks led by as many as 24 points.

Scottie Barnes had a double-double with 24 points and a career-high 14 assists to lead Toronto (7-17). Barnes also had eight rebounds. Gradey Dick scored 27 points, behind 5-for-14 three-point shooting, and RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., had 18 points.

Jakob Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops, B.C., both returned to the Raptors lineup, adding depth at centre.

Poeltl had missed Toronto’s 129-92 loss to the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday due to illness.

It was Olynyk’s first time playing in the 2024-25 season after missing the entire pre-season and first 23 games of the campaign with back spasms.

Poeltl finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Olynyk had 13 points, four rebounds, and an assist in 14 minutes.

TAKEAWAYS

Mavericks: Before the game Dallas head coach Jason Kidd was asked about his team’s struggles in the second quarter. The Mavs didn’t slow down at all in the first half, instead taking their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter, with the Raptors erasing a 14-point deficit in the period, pulling to within five points with 1:02 left to play.

Raptors: Taking care of the ball has been an issue for Toronto all season — the Raptors had 16.7 turnovers per game heading into Saturday’s game, fifth worst in the NBA — and it really cost the hosts again. They gave up the ball 13 times, leading to 24 points for Dallas.

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KEY MOMENT

Doncic took a couple of strides across half-court and threw up a buzzer beater as time expired on the second quarter. It banked in for a 70-54 Dallas lead as he and Irving celebrated at centre court.

KEY STAT

Doncic’s triple-double moved him ahead of Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden and Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain for sole possession of seventh on the NBA’s all-time triple-doubles list with 79 in his career.

UP NEXT

Toronto hosts the New York Knicks on Monday night.

The Mavericks continue their road trip with a stop in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2024.

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