Luka Doncic’s two late three-pointers propel Mavericks to victory over Celtics
Doncic finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Luka Doncic rekindled his NBA bubble form to lead the Dallas Mavericks past the Boston Celtics 110-107, courtesy of a signature stepback three-pointer in the final seconds.
The Slovenian was one of the league’s best players in last season’s play-offs, but has struggled to find that form consistently in 2021.
However, he was at his brilliant best against the Celtics, dropping two go-ahead threes in the final minute to lift Dallas to back-to-back victories.
He finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Jaylen Brown scored 29 in a losing effort.
The Washington Wizards crashed back to earth with a 135-116 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
One day after they toppled the Los Angeles Lakers to secure their fifth straight win, the Wizards struggled to keep pace with the Clippers from the opening tip.
A short burst in the third quarter was ultimately not enough for the Wizards, with Kawhi Leonard leading the way for the Clippers with 32 points and seven rebounds.
The Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted the Atlanta Hawks 112-111 to end their 10-game slide.
A Lamar Stevens dunk in the dying seconds proved to be enough for the Cavaliers to get back in the winners’ circle, as the Hawks were left to rue a number of easy misses in the final minutes.
James Harden posted a triple-double to lead the Brooklyn Nets over the Sacramento Kings 127-118.
He finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists as the league’s most potent offence secured their seventh-straight win.
The Golden State Warriors upset the return of fans to Madison Square Garden with a 114-106 victory over the New York Knicks.
Steph Curry scored 37 for the Warriors, while New York’s Julius Randle posted 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 105-93, the Philadelphia 76ers toppled the Toronto Raptors 109-102, the Milwaukee Bucks demolished the Minnesota Timberwolves 139-112, and Nikola Jokic’s 41-point haul led the Denver Nuggets to a 111-106 triumph over the Portland Trail Blazers.
