Dallas —- Luka Doncic He scored 35 points, his eighth straight game with at least 30 to start the season Dallas Mavericks Beat him Toronto Raptors 111-110 on Friday night.
He is the only NBA player to score 30 or more points in the first eight games of a season. Wilt ChamberlainHe made the first eight of the 1959-60 season and the first 23 of the 1962-63 season.
Doncic played 37 minutes and passed the 30-point mark before converting on a fadeaway jumper with 18.7 seconds left in the third quarter. It was a balanced night for the 23-year-old star: 10 for 15 from the floor, 3 for 6 from downtown, 12 for 14 from the free throw line, eight rebounds and six assists.
That followed an assist on a double-team layup, a basket following a scramble between the legs, a hook shot to cap a 16-2 run in the second half and a layup late in the third period.
“He did everything tonight,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “Did he pass the leg like eight times? When he shot that little floater, I laughed because he’s the only one who can do that.”
“It surprises a lot of people. Sometimes I wonder if he surprises himself.
he is?
“Yeah, sometimes,” Doncic said with a smile. “My best game was my hook shot. Those dramas are fun. You will see them on TV later. Everyone talks about them.”
Doncic leads the NBA with an average of 36.0 points and 8.6 assists in 36.6 minutes per game.
The Raptors cut a 19-point third quarter deficit to 108-105 with 35.5 seconds left. Doncic sank the first of two free throws with 15.9 seconds left. OG Anunobi Drive for a touchdown with 11 seconds left. Spencer Dinwiddie He hit two free throws with 3 seconds left to make it 111-107. Anunoby hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Dinwiddie had 21 points and seven assists for the Mavericks, who have won three straight after dropping their first six.
Anunoby scored 27 points. Pascal, sorry 18 and Chris Butcher 17 off the bench for the Raptors. When Siakam left the game in the third quarter, coach Nick Nurse said it was likely a groin injury.
DINWIDDIE OFFICIAL CALLS
Dinwiddie, who was called for a technical foul in the final minute of the second period, said he was told by a teammate what official Tony Brothers described as several curse words.
“NBA, I definitely want my money back,” Dinwiddie said. If anyone feels this way about me… they can talk to me in person.
“I need to talk to Spencer,” Kidd said. “When you look at Tony, what he’s done as a referee in this league, he’s well-liked and one of the best we’ve had. This is a sensitive topic.”
Important advice
Raptors: They had 10 steals, equaling their league-leading 10.8 per game, but outscored the Mavericks just 27-26. … G Fred VanVleetFourth in the NBA in steals, he missed a third straight game with a strong lower back. Nurse said he thought VanVliet would play after a full practice on Thursday. “I expect he’ll be back soon,” said the nurse.
Mavericks: C Dwight PowellA native of Toronto, he made his second start of the season Javale Magee In the starting line-up. Powell had nine points and two rebounds in 26 minutes.
Next
Raptors: Start a home-and-home with Chicago on Sunday.
Mavericks: host Brooklyn on Monday.
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AP NBA: And