Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic scored 30 or more points for the eighth consecutive game to help the team extend its winning streak to four games.The Mavs held on for a two-point victory, 127-125, in their 2023-2024 NBA regular-season home opener against the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday night.With its fourth straight win, Dallas moved into third place in the West (15-8), 2.5 games behind the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves (17-5).Doncic led the way with 33 points, 17 rebounds and six assists.Notably, Doncic has scored 30 or more points in each of his last eight games, dating back to a 30-point performance against the Lakers on March 23. In two of those games, he scored more than 40 points.
Doncic, who reportedly had a back bruise heading into the game, played through an elbow from Anthony Davis that left his mouth bleeding.Off the bench, Tim Hardaway Jr. exploded for 32 points, including five 3-pointers, and Dante Exum added 26 points, including seven 3-pointers, to extend Dallas’ winning streak.Dallas, which led 71-61 at halftime, allowed the Lakers to cut the deficit to 93-95 in the third quarter, but came out firing in the fourth, led by Exum’s five 3-pointers.The Lakers, who defeated the Indiana Pacers three days earlier to become the inaugural champions of the in-season cupcake tournament, were unable to build on their momentum and sit in sixth place in the Western Conference (14-10).Davis finished with 37 points and 11 rebounds, while in-season tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP) LeBron James had 33 points, nine 스포츠토토존 assists and eight rebounds, but was not smiling.
