Dallas, TX – While Luka Doncic surpassed Michael Jordan in a unique category of NBA history, most of Sunday night’s matchup between Sacramento and Dallas involved Dallas playing catch-up. Sacramento survived a late-game surge by the Mavericks to win 110-106.
Doncic totaled 27 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists Sunday night – his 19th consecutive game with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. Doncic now owns the record over both Jordan and then Russell Westbrook.
From the onset of the game, Sacramento was not afraid to shoot. Led in the first half by Buddy Hield’s consistent shooting, the Kings got off to a double-digit lead in the first quarter. Hield scored 26 points and was a consistent threat from the three-point line. Nemanja Bjelica was perhaps the biggest scoring factor Sunday night. He finished with 30 points in his 34 minutes on the court.
Much of the first half involved Sacramento recovering the loose balls, getting open on the perimeter and scoring in the paint. Former Dallas player Harrison Barnes spent the most time on the floor for Sacramento, scoring and facilitating the offense for his team. Barnes finished the night with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
On the other side, Tim Hardaway Jr. was having a career day. He led the Mavericks with 29 points, connecting on nine of his 12 three-point attempts.
The fourth quarter got very interesting, as the Mavericks finally erased a 24-point deficit. Kristaps Porzingis connected on a smooth fade away to narrow the margin to two points. Dallas could never tie or take the lead. On a last attempt Doncic drove toward the basket, attempting a floater in the lane. He came up short and Sacramento recovered the ball, ultimately winning the game.
After playing four games in six nights, Dallas is now 16 – 7. Sacramento improves to 9-13.