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The Dallas Mavericks had struggled away from home so far this season and when they needed a hero, it was teenage sensation Luka Doncic who delivered the ball.
Doncic finished the match with 20 points and six rebounds, but that's his ability to produce the most memorable pieces that ignited the Mavericks.
Despite a triple-double of MVP title James Harden, the Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets 128-108.
This is the third consecutive victory for the Mavericks and their second road win this season after losing seven of their first eight away games. They had dropped their last eight regular season games against the Rockets.
"We are improving," said Devin Harris, Mavericks player. "We obviously have a long way to go. Defensively, I think we play better, and offensively, I think there is still room for improvement. We tend to climb. We started slowly but we are starting to catch up. "
Doncic, 19, is one of the favorites among the favorites to win the rookie of the year title after being selected with the third overall pick in the NBA draft in 2018.
After being selected by the Atlanta Hawks, he was traded to the Mavericks in exchange for the fifth pick, Trae Young. A decision that the Hawks could live to regret.
Doncic started the party in the first quarter when he danced on Harden before hitting the tough back in the corner.
He then put the icing on the cake by shooting just inside the half-court to beat the ring and end the second quarter.
The teenager won the EuroLeague's Most Outstanding Player title and won the EuroLeague title in 2018 before settling in the United States.
Less than 20 games after his career in the NBA, it is clear that he is outstanding compared to the most recent draft clbad and already leaves the other teams that have neglected him with a red face.
Doncic, 19, has now scored 20 points or more in 10 games out of 18 this season. He is encouraged by the improvement of the Mavs since the beginning of season 3-8.
"We just needed time," he said. "From the beginning, I said I wanted to go to the playoffs and we are doing a great job."
WESTBROOK & # 39; S MOVES THE LEADERBOARD
Russell Westbrook tied for third place in the NBA in triple-double with 23 points, 19 rebounds and 15 badists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a regular season sweep of Cleveland Cavaliers with a 100-win victory. 83.
The Westbrook triple-double was his third this season – all in the last four games – and the 107th of his career, equaling Jason Kidd and outscoring only Oscar Robertson (181) and Magic Johnson (138). Kidd took 1,247 games to reach 107, while Westbrook needed only 760.
The 19 rebounds were one of Westbrook's career highs in last season's final against Memphis.
Jerami Grant added 21 points on 8 out of 12 shots for the Thunder, who won 13 of 16 after a 0-4 start.
Jordan Clarkson led Cleveland with 25 points while Collin Sexton (21 points, 10 rebounds) and Cedi Osman (14 points, 10 rebounds) each had a double-double.
The Cavaliers agreed to trade Kyle Korver against Utah after the team's arrival at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, leaving only nine players in uniform.
SIMMONS AND 76ERS PULVERIZED PAWS
Ben Simmons and JJ Redick provided vital support to NBA superstar Joel Embiid, while the Philadelphia 76ers crushed the New York Knicks 117-91.
Australian leader Simmons had 14 points, eight rebounds and seven badists. Redick scored 24 points and edged. The Sixers improved their impressive home record to 11-1.
But it's Embiid who has once again been the star, finishing with 26 points, 14 rebounds and seven badists for a 21st double-double of the season, the best of the league. "We had no answer for any of them," said Knicks coach David Fizdale. "We just had a blitz and we really had no answer to what they did."
– with AP
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