Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) drives to the basket in front of Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray (8) during the second half at American Airlines Center. | Jérôme Miron-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
DALLAS – Luka Doncic scored 30 of his 41 points in the first half, Kyrie Irving added 29 in his second game back from a heel injury and the Dallas Mavericks routed the Portland Trail Blazers 126-97 on Wednesday evening.
The All-Star pair made a combined 23 of 40 from the field before sitting out the fourth quarter. They were just 12 of 34 in a 37-point loss to Utah in Irving’s return after missing 12 games with a bruised right heel.
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Dallas coach: Defensively, we were locked in
“Great response to what happened in Utah,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “I thought the ball movement was great. Defensively, it was really good. We were locked up.
Irving tied his season high with nine rebounds and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 14 points for the Mavericks, who opened a seven-game homestand — their longest of the season — with the first of two straight against Portland.
Shaedon Sharpe scored 16 points and Anfernee Simons had 15 for the Trail Blazers, who fell to 0-2 in the first of two seven-game trips that are their longest of the season.
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NBA: Doncic, Irving 17 of 28 on the court
On pace to be as healthy as they have been all season, the Mavs lost two frontcourt players to ankle injuries in the second half, rookie center Derek Lively II and forward Grant Williams.
Kidd said both cases were mild sprains and the team would know more about his prospects Thursday.
Lively sprained her left ankle again. The first injury kept him out of four games last month.
Irving and Doncic were 17 of 28 from the field as the Mavs shot 62% in the first half while scoring a season-high one half and taking a 78-47 lead.
Doncic, who had his NBA-leading seventh game with at least 40 points, made 10 of 12 free throws in the first half, when Portland committed 20 fouls and 14 turnovers. Dallas had 21 points from turnovers in the first half.
“This team is already hard enough to guard in the half court, period,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “And then you give them the easiest ones in transition. This makes things worse and harder.
Two nights after nothing was done for either Dallas superstar, Irving took one while trying to throw an alley-oop pass over his shoulder to Lively.
Portland rookie Duop Reath, who missed the previous three games with a back injury, was ejected for a Level 2 flagrant foul in the second quarter. Reath caught Josh Green with an elbow to the face as he attempted a shot in the lane.
Simons was back after a three-game absence, and rookie Toumani Camara returned after missing one game with right knee soreness. But Camara and Ibou Badji committed fouls as the Blazers finished with 34 fouls.
Dallas’ home game begins with back-to-back games against Portland – the rematch is Friday – and ends with back-to-back games against New Orleans on January 13-15. The Mavs and Pelicans split when they played a pair in New Orleans on Nov. 12-14.
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