Led by Luka Doncic’s near triple-double, Mavericks get much-needed win over Pistons - The Dallas Morning News

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Perhaps you heard some groans echo across Dallas around 8 p.m. on Wednesday evening.

If so, it’s a safe bet they were in response to yet another Mavericks first-quarter deficit, their foil in a recent playoff-hampering losing skid.

But as the Mavericks settled in the second quarter of their 127-117 home win over the Pistons, fans throughout the Metroplex likely calmed down, too.

Buoyed by Luka Doncic’s near triple-double (30 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists), the Mavericks outscored the Pistons 29-13 in the last 7:42 of the first half to take control in a game against a team bound for the top of the draft lottery.

The matchup might’ve appeared to be lopsided statistically, but with recent weeks’ experience in mind and with two games in three days against the defending champion Lakers looming, Dallas knew their slow start turned steady finish against Detroit was no guarantee.

“We’ve got to transfer that to every game,” Doncic said. “We’ve got to play hard, play with energy and do it every game.”

After Tuesday’s practice, coach Rick Carlisle said “everything’s on the table,” hinting at lineup changes, because the Mavericks had squandered a week’s worth of opportunities to improve their No. 7 Western Conference playoff standing by losing four of their last five games.

He made one switch against the Pistons: Dwight Powell replaced Maxi Kleber as a starter, prompting Kristaps Porzingis (19 points) to shift from center to power forward in the opening minutes.

But that still didn’t jumpstart his team’s initial energy. Despite 11 points from Doncic, the Mavericks trailed by as many as eight points and entered the second quarter down, 36-33.

The player most responsible for erasing the Mavericks’ eighth consecutive first-quarter deficit instead came off the bench.

Jalen Brunson tallied 20 points, including 13 in the second. He dominated with a personal 7-0 run on four consecutive possessions with less than four minutes left in the half and finished quarter 6 of 6 from the field while dishing two assists.

The 24-year-old Brunson missed the Mavericks’ Disney World bubble playoff run last summer. He stayed back in Dallas to finish rehabbing from March shoulder surgery.

Eager for what he hopes will be his NBA playoff debut in less than a month, Brunson didn’t want the Mavericks to falter for the third time in the last two weeks against an opponent with a bottom-seven record.

“When it comes to winning games,” Brunson said, “we’re going to have to play some defense.”

The Mavericks employed a 2-3 zone defense for long stretches of the game, keeping Detroit’s offense out of rhythm after Jerami Grant’s 15 first-quarter points powered their hot shooting start.

Grant’s foul trouble after he drew his third late in the second quarter and his fourth 30 seconds after halftime also helped stymie the Piston’s upset push.

So, too, did the electric confidence Doncic flashed minutes later, when he banked in a 36-foot 3-pointer from just to the left of the center-court logo, adding a little heel flick at the end for good measure.

Still, the Mavericks’ third win in their last eight games didn’t come without potential costs.

Maxi Kleber suffered a lower back contusion after taking a charge against Tyler Cook early in the second quarter and missed the entire second half. Carlisle said X-Rays on Kleber’s back were negative, “but he’s got a pretty substantial bruise.”

Brunson, Doncic and Josh Richardson also endured hard falls to the court.

They’ll have less than a day to recover before facing the Lakers on Thursday to complete their latest, but not last, back to back.

Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

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Led by Luka Doncic’s near triple-double, Mavericks get much-needed win over Pistons - The Dallas Morning News
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