Luka Doncic, Mavericks pull away to defeat Pistons

April 23 ------ Luka Doncic came within one assist of a triple-double with 30 points and 10 rebounds, Jalen Brunson came off the bench to add 20 points, and the host Dallas Mavericks pulled out of a skid Wednesday, April 21, with a 127-117 defeat of the Detroit Pistons. The Mavericks (31-26) came into Wednesday's matchup with losses in 4 of their previous 5 games, including the first two to start their five-game homestand. Dallas trailed the Pistons (18-41), who sit last in the Eastern Conference, for stretches in the first half before breaking the game open just before intermission.

A 12-2 run to close the 2nd quarter gave Dallas a lead it held throughout the second half. Brunson ignited the decisive spurt, scoring 9 of 11 points for the Mavericks over a 1:50 stretch. Brunson shot 8-of-12 from the floor overall as the Mavericks went 46-of-92 (50%) as a team. Detroit slightly outshot Dallas at 50.6%, but made 6 fewer field goals. The Mavericks grabbed 11 offensive rebounds, which they converted into a 21-12 edge on second-chance points. Dallas also capitalized on 14 takeaways with a 17-9 advantage in points off turnovers. The Mavericks also outscored the Pistons 52-40 in the paint, and 13-4 on fast-break opportunities. Kristaps Porzingis scored 19 points for Dallas, Josh Richardson added 12, Dorian Finney-Smith registered 11 and Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in 15 off the bench. The Mavericks lost Maxi Kleber to an apparent lower back injury after he drew a charge in the first half.

Detroit trailed by as many as 17 points in the 4th quarter, but pulled within 8 on a pair of Cory Joseph free throws with 3:26 remaining. Joseph matched a season-high with 24 points, and Jerami Grant led the Pistons with 26 points. Mason Plumlee grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds to go with 13 points. Wayne Ellington and Saddiq Bey added 11 points in the loss.

Source: rappler.com