DETROIT — Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a career-high 42 points, helping the Dallas Mavericks overcome the absence of Luka Doncic in a 115-105 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night.
Trey Burke added 15 points for Dallas, which moved a game ahead of Portland for the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference. Doncic missed the game because of a left elbow issue, and the Pistons were without their leading scorer as well in Jerami Grant.
The game was tight until the final minute. Hardaway scored 17 points in a row during a fourth-quarter stretch, capping that run with a 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining that put the Mavericks up 109-105. During that stretch, Detroit also fouled Hardaway twice while he was shooting a 3, and he made all his free throws.
Isaiah Stewart and Frank Jackson scored 20 points apiece for the Pistons.
Dallas has won five of six.
Hardaway’s previous career high was 39 points, set in 2018. He and Burke looked plenty comfortable in Detroit, not far from where they played college basketball at Michigan. Hardaway’s 23 field goal attempts were a season high.
Jalen Brunson scored 13 points for the Mavericks.
Saddiq Bey scored 18 points for the Pistons, and Sekou Doumbouya added 14.
Dallas went 22 of 23 on free throws.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Dallas was also without Dorian Finney-Smith (left leg), but Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle) and Josh Richardson (right hamstring) were able to play. Porzingis scored 11 points and Richardson had 10.
Pistons: Detroit was without Grant (right knee), Mason Plumlee (rest) and Wayne Ellington (calf). … The Pistons lost despite shooting 51% from the field. They turned the ball over 18 times.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Washington on Saturday night. Dallas beat the Wizards 109-87 on April 3.
Pistons: Visit Charlotte on Saturday night. The Hornets beat Detroit 105-102 on March 11.
Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball
