Luka Doncic showcased his brilliance with 32 points and 10 assists, leading the Dallas Mavericks (13-8) to a 125-112 victory over the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers (6-15) on Friday night, marred by Kyrie Irving’s right foot injury.
In the second quarter, Irving suffered an injury when fouled by Portland’s Duop Reath, leading to an inadvertent footstep by teammate Dwight Powell. Despite Irving sinking two free throws, he was ruled out for the remainder of the game after being examined by the Mavericks’ medical staff.
Dante Exum stepped up with 23 points for the Mavericks, and Tim Hardaway Jr. provided a significant boost off the bench with 20 points.
Doncic, in addition to his scoring, contributed six rebounds, steering the Mavericks to a solid victory.
The Trail Blazers, missing key starters including Malcolm Brogdon, Deandre Ayton, and Jerami Grant, relied on Anfernee Simons, who delivered an impressive performance with 30 points, eight assists, and five rebounds.
Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara also made notable contributions with 24 points and 14 points, respectively.
Dallas dominated from the start, establishing a lead of up to 19 points in the first half. Although Portland mounted several comebacks, narrowing the gap to one at times in the second half, they couldn’t overcome the Mavericks’ control, securing a well-deserved victory.
