By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Luka Doncic overcame a slow start and led the Dallas Mavericks to the win on the latest installment of NBA Sundays.
The Dallas Mavericks rallied past the Charlotte Hornets, 124-118, in American Airlines Center.
The Slovenian superstar ended up with 23 points in a rough shooting evening. Making 8/19 from the field included 1/9 from beyond the arc. He added 12 points, nine assists, and one block over 36 minutes. German Maxi Kleber was ruled out with a right small toe dislocation.
The Mavs managed to jump to 5-1 despite LaMelo Ball posting a 30-point triple-double. French Theo Maledon had nine points and four assists in the losing effort. Fellow French guard Frank Ntilikina (left tibia) remained sidelined.
Santi Aldama links to first win of the season
After sitting out the first six games with a sprained right ankle, Spanish Santi Aldama registered seven points, five rebounds, and three assists, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 112-100, in Moda Center. Lasting 20 minutes, his first appearance combined with the first team win of the 2023-24 Regular Season. On the opposite end, Belgian Toumani Camara went for eight points, six rebounds, two assists, and one block.
Croatian Dario Saric missed all of his three shots and grabbed five rebounds over 13 minutes for the Golden State Warriors. His side lost, 115-104, in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse with the Cleveland Cavaliers snapping a 16-game losing streak against the Warriors.
In earlier contests on NBA Sundays, the Toronto Raptors outlasted the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama in overtime, and Kevin Durant scored 41 points for the Phoenix Suns in the win versus the Detroit Pistons.
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Boston Celtics 5-0
2. Philadelphia 76ers 4-1
3. Atlanta Hawks 4-2
4. Orlando Magic 4-2
5. Milwaukee Bucks 3-2
6. Indiana Pacers 3-3
7. Brooklyn Nets 3-3
8. Toronto Raptors 3-4
9. Cleveland Cavaliers 3-4
10. Charlotte Hornets 2-4
11. New York Knicks 2-4
12. Miami Heat 2-4
13. Detroit Pistons 2-5
14. Chicago Bulls 2-5
15. Washington Wizards 1-4
Western Conference
1. Denver Nuggets 6-1
2. Dallas Mavericks 5-1
3. Golden State Warriors 5-2
4. New Orleans Pelicans 4-2
5. Minnesota Timberwolves 3-2
6. Los Angeles Clippers 3-2
7. Los Angeles Lakers 3-3
8. Oklahoma City Thunder 3-3
9. San Antonio Spurs 3-3
10. Phoenix Suns 3-4
11. Portland Trail Blazers 3-4
12. Houston Rockets 2-3
13. Sacramento Kings 2-3
14. Utah Jazz 2-5
15. Memphis Grizzlies 1-6
-Teams ranking first through sixth advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams ranking seventh through tenth compete in the Play-Ins
Photo Credit: Getty Images