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LUKA Dončić matched a career-best eight 3-pointers and scored 37 points in just three quarters as the Dallas Mavericks crushed host Portland Trail Blazers (132-92) on Sunday night.
Dončić missed just once from long range and collected seven rebounds as the Mavericks led by up to 45 points while leading by 13th time in the last 18 games. The margin of victory was the club’s second-largest of the season, behind the Los Angeles Clippers’ 124-73 loss on Dec. 27.
Josh Richardson scored 21 points and Dorian-Finney Smith added 13 for Dallas, which was 19 of 37 from 3-point range and shot 55.8 percent overall. Kristaps Porziņģis scored 12 points, while Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Dwight Powell scored 11 each.
Damian Lillard scored 19 points and Gary Trent, Jr. added 16 for Portland, which had a three-game winning streak stopped. Nassir Little scored 14 points and CJ McCollum added 13 for the Trail Blazers.
Lillard (seven attempts) and McCollum (five) missed their 12 3-point attempts. Portland was just 9 of 41 from behind the arc while shooting 38.2 percent overall.
The one-sided win marked Dallas’ only victory in all three meetings of the season with Portland. The Trail Blazers beat the Mavericks (125-119) on Friday despite Dončić’s 38 points.
The other time Dončić made eight 3s was also against the Trail Blazers. He was 8 of 12 in a 120-112 victory on January 17, 2020. Dončić scored three 3-pointers during a 19-0 run to start the second half. – Reuters
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