Sports

Roundup: Doncic shines again for Dallas as Nets, Suns notch surprise wins

Houston, USA, Aug 5 (efe-epa).- Luka Doncic was the star of the show for Dallas in the latest round of NBA games on Tuesday night, which also featured surprise wins for the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns.

Luka Doncic again shone for the Dallas Mavericks, racking up yet another triple-double to lead his team to an overtime comeback 114-110 win against the Sacramento Kings.

Doncic ended the game with 34 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists in his 44 minutes on court.

The Slovenian sank a three-pointer with 1:57 left on the clock in overtime and secured the Mavericks’ first win since the NBA restarted in its Disney World Orlando bubble after the coronavirus hiatus.

Dallas, which has clinched its place in the playoffs with a record of 41-29, remains the only team in the NBA to have avoided three consecutive defeats this season.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Damian Lillard and Carmelo Anthony led the Portland Trail Blazers (31-38) to a 110-102 victory over the fourth-placed Houston Rockets, who have already sealed their passage to the postseason.

Lillard scored 21 points while ex-Rocket Anthony, who finished the game with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, sank a crucial three-pointer in the closing stages to secure the win for Portland, who remain in the hunt for a playoff spot.

James Harden led the Houston attack with 23 points and nine assists on a night when he ran into foul trouble.

For the Brooklyn Nets, French Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 26 points to beat the highly fancied Milwaukee Bucks, who have the best record in the league and will head tothe playoffs as one of the favorites to lift the title.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, the undisputed star of the Bucks and the league in general, was held to 16 points, although he was rested by coach Mike Budenholzer for the second half of the game.

Luwawu-Cabarrot led a list of six Brooklyn players to score in double digits, while as a team the Nets registered 21 three-pointers from 57 attempts on their way to a second consecutive victory that boosts their chances of securing 7th or 8th place in the Eastern Conference and the playoff berth that comes with them.

The Phoenix Suns, meanwhile, continued their winning streak and kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a narrow 117-115 victory over the second placed Los Angeles Clippers.

Kevin Booker scored a brilliant decisive basket to cap off a 35-point performance, in which he also added 8 assists and four rebounds.

The win means Phoenix have won three games in a row, the first team to do so in the Orlando bubble.

For the Clippers, who after setting a franchise record with 25 three-pointers last Saturday were only able to make 8 against the Suns, Kawhi Leonard scored 27 points, while Paul George added another 23 in a losing effort.

The Miami Heat, meanwhile, overcame the loss of Jimmy Butler to beat the third placed Boston Celtics 111-106.

Bam Adebayo made 21 points and 12 rebounds as the Heat controlled the scoreboard and sent a clear message to Boston, who are just one place above the Heat in the Eastern Conference standings.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 23 points, while Jaylen Brown posted a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. EFE-EPA

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