NEW ORLEANS — Luka Doncic scored 15 of his 33 points in the third quarter and grabbed 18 rebounds in just 28 minutes to power the Dallas Mavericks to a 118-97 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.
Doncic shot 9 of 18 from the field, making five 3-pointers, and hit 10 of 13 free throws to lead the Mavericks to their eighth victory in the last nine games.
Doncic had 12 points the first quarter and then broke open a three-point game by scoring 15 of the Mavericks’ 25 points in the final 9:18 of the third, when Dallas built a 84-75 lead. Two of Doncic’s jumpers came from at least 25 feet with no defender in his face.
Dallas led by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter and coasted home.
Seth Curry added 19 points off the bench for the Mavericks, and Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber each had 12.
Brandon Ingram scored 24 points and Jrue Holiday had 18 for New Orleans, which lost its sixth consecutive game.
PISTONS 127, CAVALIERS 94: Blake Griffin scored 24 points, Andre Drummond had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Detroit rolled in Cleveland to win consecutive games for the first time this season.
Griffin played just 24 minutes and was 8 of 13 from the field, including 6 of 7 from deep. Drummond played 31 minutes as Detroit’s starters were on the bench for the fourth quarter.
MAGIC 127 WIZARDS 120: Evan Fournier scored 31 points, D.J. Augustin added 16 of his 24 in the fourth quarter and Orlandowon at Washington.
Bradley Beal scored 42 points for the Wizards, who have lost five of six. Markelle Fultz added a career-high 20 points for the Magic, who have won three of four after earning just their second road victory of the season.
HEAT 121, RAPTORS 110: Jimmy Butler had 22 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists as Miami held a 13-2 scoring edge in overtime to beat visiting Toronto.
NOTES
WARRIORS: The NBA is taking two upcoming Golden State games off the national TV schedule, with the injury-riddled former dynasty now owning the worst record in the league.
Golden State was scheduled to play on ESPN against Utah on Dec. 13 and against Portland on Dec. 18. The league announced Tuesday that both games would be replaced.
WIZARDS: Center Thomas Bryant has a stress reaction in his right foot and will be sidelined for at least three weeks before he’s re-evaluated.
“Hopefully we get good news then,” Wizards Coach Scott Brooks said before Tuesday’s game against the Orlando Magic.
Bryant, who is averaging 13.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, was diagnosed Tuesday after experiencing pain in his foot following the team’s 150-125 loss at the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
GRIZZLIES: Memphis rookie Brandon Clarke has aggravated a sore left oblique muscle and now is week to week. Clarke hurt his oblique muscle in the first half of Sunday’s win at Minnesota. He did not return for the second half and did not dress for Monday night’s loss to Indiana.
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