Doncic, Wood lead Mavericks to 130-110 win over Blazers
DALLAS, TEXAS - DECEMBER 16: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against the Portland Trail Blazers in the second half of the game at American Airlines Center on December 16, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressl
DALLAS (AP) - Luka Doncic scored 33 points, Christian Wood had a season-high 32 points along with 12 rebounds and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Portland Trail Blazers 130-110 on Friday night.
Two of Dallas' top three scorers each had 20 before halftime — the NBA scoring leader Doncic with 23 to 20 for Wood — and combined to make 22 of 35 from the field as Dallas shot 56%.
Damian Lillard also had 20 before the break with 21, but finished with 24 to end a four-game streak of at least 35 points that was tied for the longest in the NBA this season with Philadelphia's Joel Embiid.
The Mavericks ended the Blazers' three-game winning streak while beating Portland for the sixth consecutive time. The average margin during the streak is 25 points.
Wood's first 20-point half with Dallas helped the Mavericks turn an eight-point deficit into a 14-point lead in the second quarter before Dallas settled for a nine-point halftime edge.
"He did a great job of being able to play through him in the second quarter was huge for us," coach Jason Kidd said. "The time he was on the floor on both ends, he gave us a lift tonight."
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Dallas, which had lost three of its previous four games, outscored Portland 28-10 in the first seven minutes of the third quarter for a 27-point lead. The lead never fell below 19 after that.
Doncic and Lillard sat the entire fourth quarter — along with the rest of Portland's starters — with both teams on the first night of a back-to-back. Doncic went to the locker room with 6:40 remaining.
"We didn't have it," Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. "We'll talk about why we didn't have it. I wanted to be smart about it. We're in a tough little stretch. Got to know when to fold 'em."
Lillard, who averaged 38 points in the previous four games, started hot again before cooling off with three straight misses from 3-point range in the second quarter. He finished 6 of 14.
While the top three scorers for Dallas combined for 78 points (Spencer Dinwiddie had 13), the Blazers' trio of 20-point scorers had just 38.
Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant finished with seven points apiece, combining to go 5 of 19 from the field. Grant scored 37 in Dallas' 117-112 win at home last month.
Doncic and Wood were the first Dallas teammates to score at least 20 points each in the same half since Doncic and Seth Curry in a 122-111 victory over Detroit in Mexico City three years ago.
Jusuf Nurkic and Trendon Watford scored 16 apiece for Portland, and Watford had 11 rebounds.
HELLO, HOME FOLKS
Kemba Walker made his home debut for Dallas, converting a three-point play when he beat the shot-clock buzzer after rebounding his own miss and got fouled. He also had a 3 to finish with six points. The four-time All-Star with a recent history of knee trouble signed with Dallas on Nov. 29.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Lillard is 46 points from passing Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler as the franchise's scoring leader. ... Grant opened the scoring with a 3 but went 1 of 7 the rest of the way.
Mavericks: Tim Hardaway Jr scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting. ... G Josh Green, who missed his fourth consecutive game with a right elbow sprain, will make the upcoming road trip. ... C Dwight Powell sustained a left thigh contusion early in the third quarter and didn't return. The Mavs are already without F/C Maxi Kleber, who will miss multiple weeks with a torn hamstring.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: This is the second of three Texas stops to start the first of two season-long six-game trips. After Houston to finish a back-to-back Saturday, Portland plays consecutive games in Oklahoma City.
Mavericks: A four-game trip starts with the finish of a back-to-back in Cleveland on Saturday. The Cavaliers beat the Mavericks 105-90 in Dallas on Wednesday.