Doncic triple-double powers Mavericks over Cavaliers 131-111
By BRIAN DULIK
CLEVELAND (AP) _ Luca Doncic posted his second straight triple-double _ and third of the season _ with 29 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high tying 15 assists, powering the Dallas Mavericks to a 131-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night.
Kristaps Porzingis added 18 points and nine rebounds and Boban Marjanovic had 12 points and eight boards off the bench for the Mavericks, who are 3-0 on the road for the first time since their championship season of 2010-2011.
The reigning Rookie of the Year completed his triple-double with 3:44 left in the third quarter on an assist to Marjanovic. The 6-foot-7 Slovenian had 11 points, four boards and five assists during the period as Dallas built an 86-76 advantage.
Two nights earlier, Doncic collected 31 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists in a 119-110 overtime loss to the Lakers. His 11 career triple-doubles before the age of 21 are an NBA record, four more than Magic Johnson’s previous mark.
Kevin Love had a season-high 29 points and eight rebounds and Jordan Clarkson scored 17 points for the Cavaliers, who lost for the first time in three home games under coach John Beilein. Cleveland seized a 23-15 lead as Love scored 13 points in the first seven minutes.
Doncic sank his first five shots, including three 3-pointers, and delivered a highlight-worthy, behind-the-back pass while driving down the lane to Porzingis for a trey. He had 16 points, eight boards and seven assists as Dallas carried a 58-53 lead into halftime.
Neither team attempted a free throw in the first half until Cleveland center Tristan Thompson went to the line with 38 seconds left in the second quarter. Seth Curry subsequently shot a pair on the Mavericks’ final possession.
Thompson had 11 points and 12 rebounds, reaching double figures in the latter for the sixth game in a row to start the season.
Jalen Brunson scored 14 points and Curry had 13 as Dallas had seven players score 10 or more points.
STILL SALTY
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle wasn’t placated by the NBA’s official report stating that Lakers C Dwight Howard should have been called for an offensive foul against Mavericks G Seth Curry before Danny Green buried a 3-pointer to force OT Friday. “Hopefully (next time), the officials call an obvious foul on the other team at the end,” he said sternly. “We were one whistle away from a huge win.”
FAN CLUB
At 66, Beilein of the Cavaliers is the oldest, non-interim, first-time coach in NBA history. Carlisle is delighted to have him in the league after 41 seasons at the college level. “He’s a brilliant coach and I’ve been a fan of his for over a decade,” Carlisle said. “He doesn’t need any advice from me. He’s a very experienced coach and is highly, highly qualified to be in this league.”
TIP-INS
Mavericks: C Maxi Kleber (right knee bruise) was inactive, but Carlisle said his injury was “not serious” and expects the third-year pro to return to practice Tuesday. . Curry played in one game with Cleveland as a rookie on March 22, 2014. . Assistant coach Jenny Boucek was a member of the Cleveland Rockers of the WNBA.
Cavaliers: G Matthew Dellavedova (personal reasons) was unavailable for the second straight game. G Brandon Knight, who did not appear in Cleveland’s first four contests, had 10 points while filling in for him as the backup point guard. .. Love had a streak of five straight double-doubles to open the season snapped.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Orlando on Wednesday. Dallas has won seven straight over the Magic at American Airlines Center.
Cavaliers: Host Boston on Tuesday. The Celtics swept their four-game season series with Cleveland in 2018-2019.
LeBron James, Antony Davis lead Lakers past Spurs
By RAUL DOMINGUEZ
SAN ANTONIO (AP) _ Anthony Davis had 25 points and 11 rebounds, LeBron James added 21 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the San Antonio Spurs 103-96 on Sunday night.
James also had a triple-double Friday night in an overtime victory in Dallas.
Dwight Howard had 14 points and 13 rebounds in a throw-back performance to help the Lakers improve to 5-1.
Dejounte Murray had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, Rudy Gay added 16 points off the bench, and DeMar DeRozan had 14. They lost for the second time in three games to drop to 4-2.
The Lakers missed their first three shots and had two turnovers but the Spurs only managed a 5-0 lead. The teams combined to commit 13 turnovers in the first quarter in a sloppy start to a battle between the early leaders in the Western Conference standings.
The Spurs managed to work free for 3-pointers, but were 4 for 16 from long range in the first half.
The Lakers outscored the Spurs 30-18 in the second quarter, including an alley-oop from Howard at the 3-point line to Davis.
The Spurs closed to 77-72 on Gay’s 37-footer to end the third quarter and 87-85 on Murray’s short jumper midway through the fourth.
Murray’s three-point play on a foul against James and subsequent driving layup tied it at 90 with 4:10 remaining. The Lakers went on a 7-0 run, capped by a dunk follow by Howard. The center flexed after the basket to the roar of the many Los Angeles fans in attendance.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Lakers fan Calvin Broadus, aka Snoop Dog, sat courtside. He received a Spurs jersey with Snoop Dogg and No. 19 on the back, which he sheepishly accepted while wearing a purple Lakers jacket. … Kyle Kuzma had five points in 16 minutes in his second game after missing the season’s first four games because of stress reaction in his left ankle suffered playing for Team USA in August.
Spurs: Derrick White fell on his right hip and backside early in the fourth quarter after being fouled by Dwight Howard. Derrick White remained on the court for about 45 seconds before rising and gingerly walking off the injury. Officials reviewed the play and ruled it was a common foul against Howard.
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Chicago on Tuesday night.
Spurs: At Atlanta on Tuesday night.
Heat take huge early lead, rout Rockets 129-100
By TIM REYNOLDS
MIAMI (AP) _ Duncan Robinson scored 23 points, Meyers Leonard added 21 and the Miami Heat led by as many as 41 points on the way to an easy 129-100 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
Jimmy Butler scored 18 points and had nine assists for the Heat, and James Johnson scored 17 in his season debut. Miami is 5-1, matching the best six-game start in franchise history.
James Harden scored 29 for Houston, while Russell Westbrook was held to only 10. The Heat had 38 assists to Houston’s 19, in a game that was decided very early.
It was a record-setting opening quarter for the Heat _ resulting in the third-biggest lead after 12 minutes in the NBA’s shot-clock era, starting with the 1954-55 season.
Miami led 46-14 after that first quarter. The only bigger leads after one quarter since the shot clock was put into play came when the Los Angeles Lakers led the Sacramento Kings 40-4 after one quarter on Feb. 4, 1987, and the Baltimore Bullets leading the Kansas City-Omaha Kings 45-12 after one quarter on Dec. 9, 1972.
It was the biggest margin by which the Heat had outscored an opponent in any quarter _ and the biggest margin by which the Rockets had ever been outscored in a period. Miami outscored New York by 28 in the first quarter on Jan. 22, 2007; the then-San Diego Rockets were outscored by 28 against Atlanta in the third quarter on Feb. 11, 1970.
The lead was 59-18 four minutes into the second quarter. Houston got within 25 points by halftime, but no closer from there.
Goran Dragic scored 15 points and Tyler Herro had 12 for Miami. Chris Clemons had 16 and Ben McLemore scored 14 for Houston.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Westbrook started 1 for 9 from the field, 0 for 5 from 3-point range _ with his first make from beyond the arc coming on a 45-footer that beat the third-quarter buzzer. That got Houston within 99-71. … The Rockets have faced deficits of at least 13 points in four consecutive games _ the other three falling well shy of the 41-point hole Houston quickly dug Sunday. … Houston has now lost 13 of its last 17 games in Miami, and trails the all-time series with the Heat 33-32.
Heat: Miami had a 48-point quarter at New York in 1989 and a 47-point quarter at Boston in 1990. The 46-point quarter was a Heat home record. … Chris Bosh and Ray Allen _ who teamed up for one of the biggest plays in NBA Finals history, the rebound and 3-pointer late in Game 6 of the 2013 series against San Antonio _ were in attendance. So was Dorell Wright, part of the 2006 Heat NBA championship team. … Justise Winslow (lower back stiffness) missed his second consecutive game. Derrick Jones Jr. (left groin) and KZ Okpala (left Achilles) were inactive.
HARDEN’S SHOOTING
Harden was 6 for 14 from the field and 3 for 9 from 3-point range _ not great numbers for an elite scorer like him, but his percentages for the season actually rose. He’s up to 37% from the field now through six games, 22% from 3-point range. All-time in Miami, Harden is shooting 39% from the field, 33% from beyond the arc.
CLEMONS DEBUTS
Clemons, the third-leading scorer in NCAA Division I men’s history and someone who averaged 30.1 per game as a senior at Campbell last season, made his NBA debut. Clemons scored 3,225 points in 130 college games, and was 5 for 18 from the floor Sunday.
UP NEXT
Rockets: At Memphis on Monday, ending a four-game road trip.
Heat: At Denver on Tuesday, opening a three-game West swing.