DALLAS — Luka Doncic had 18 points and 13 assists and the Dallas Mavericks overcame a 17-point deficit to beat Los Angeles 108-91 on Saturday night in Lakers star Anthony Davis’ second game back from a long injury absence.
Dwight Powell scored 12 of his season-high 25 points in the fourth quarter, including a six-point run for Dallas that featured the bucket that gave the Mavericks their first lead since the first quarter at 89-87.
The Mavericks swept a two-game home set against the defending NBA champs and moved a game ahead of Portland the all-important sixth seed in the Western Conference. The No. 7 team has to make the playoffs through a play-in format.
The Lakers, still without fellow star LeBron James and also missing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with a right ankle sprain two nights after he led LA with a season-high 29 points in a 115-110 loss, dropped the season series with Dallas. LA is just 1 1/2 games ahead of the Mavericks for fifth place in the Western Conference.
Doncic was just 6 of 15 from the field against swarming double teams with the Mavericks missing the Slovenian star’s European sidekick, Kristaps Porzingis, after the 7-foot-3 Latvian sprained his left ankle in the second half of the Dallas victory over the Lakers.
Dallas was missing another starter after Josh Richardson reported right hamstring tightness during the morning shootaround. Powell, Dorian Finney-Smith (21 points) and JJ Redick filled the void.
Redick hit one of his two 3-pointers for a seven-point lead before Doncic connected on a deep step-back 3 for Dallas’ first 10-point edge at 101-91. The Mavericks outscored the Lakers 62-35 in the second half.
Davis was sluggish again coming off 30 games missed because of right calf and heel issues, finishing 5 of 19 from the field. The eight-time All-Star’s best stretch came late in the second quarter, when he scored 10 of his 17 points to help the Lakers turn a four-point edge into a 58-46 halftime lead.
The Mavericks got even at the end of the third quarter when Tim Hardaway Jr. 1 of 10 from the field at that point, pulled up for a buzzer-beating 3-pointer and a 79-all tie.
Ben McLemore, making his first start in nine games for the Lakers in Caldwell-Pope’s absence, was 4 of 5 from 3 in the first quarter and finished with 20 points, his most for LA. McLemore was 6 of 10 from deep.
TIP-INS
Lakers: C Marc Gasol returned after missing three games because of a broken left little finger, scoring a point with seven rebounds in 18 minutes. … Dennis Schroder had 16 points and 10 assists. Kyle Kuzma scored 14.
Mavericks: Coach Rick Carlisle said the club didn’t think the ankle injury was serious for Porzingis, who was out for the 20th time in 59 games. He also has been sidelined by knee and back issues. … F Maxi Kleber returned after missing a game with a lower back contusion, getting nine points and 10 rebounds. … Doncic was called for his 14th technical foul in the second quarter. He’s two away from a one-game suspension.
UP NEXT
Lakers: LA is at Orlando on Monday in the third game of a four-game trip. The Lakers can sweep the two-game season series with a win, but are just 2-8 at Amway Center.
Mavericks: A three-game road trip starts in Sacramento on Monday. It’s the first of two meetings in a week, with the Mavericks trying to bounce back from a 121-107 loss to the Kings in Dallas eight days earlier.
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