Luka Doncic scored 36 points, dished out 11 assists and grabbed nine rebounds to pace a balanced Dallas attack as the visiting Mavericks held off the San Antonio Spurs 122-117 on Friday.
The Mavericks took a 10-point lead to the fourth quarter, but San Antonio got within 113-112 after an 8-0 run that was capped by DeMar DeRozan's free throw with 1:03 to play.
Doncic finally got Dallas back on track with a clutch jumper with 49.4 seconds left. After DeRozan misfired on a jumper, Jalen Brunson expanded the lead to 118-112 via a 3-pointer with 18.9 seconds left, and the Mavericks held on down the stretch.
Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points apiece for Dallas. Brunson scored 16 and Trey Burke put up 13 points.
DeRozan led the Spurs with 29 points despite 8-of-20 shooting, and LaMarcus Aldridge hit for 26. Keldon Johnson poured in 17 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, Rudy Gay scored 16 points and Patty Mills had 13.
Doncic and Aldridge led their teams with 19 and 14 points, respectively, in the first quarter. The Mavericks owned the first six minutes, in which they led by as many as eight points, and the Spurs dominated the ensuing three.
Dallas ran its lead to as many as 18 points midway through the second period before the Spurs clawed back within eight. The Mavericks led 68-58 at halftime despite hitting on just one of their final five shots before the break.
Doncic paced all scorers with 21 points in the half as Dallas outshot the Spurs 52 percent to 47.6 percent. Porzingis and Brunson had 11 points each at the break while Hardaway had 10.
DeRozan led the Spurs with 15 first-half points, with Aldridge amassing 14 and Johnson scoring 11 points.
Overall, the Mavericks outshot the Spurs 48.4 percent to 46.1 percent from the floor.
The Spurs played without Dejounte Murray for all but the first 1:02 of the game after he sprained his left ankle.
--Field Level Media
