 the Ws right now. When it gets down to we're gonna need a couple games, then we'll get into a playoff mode where everything is very detailed.'' HANGING ONThe Bulls outscored Dallas 33-17 in the third quarter to turn a 10-point halftime deficit into an 81-75 lead, and withstood a big push in the final minute.The Mavericks were trailing 107-99 when Maxi Kleber dunked with 18 seconds left. Delon Wright then got a steal and fed Dorian Finney-Smith for a 3-pointer that made it a three-point game.Chicago's Thaddeus Young missed the first free throw before hitting the second with 13 seconds remaining.Finney-Smith hit another 3 to make it 108-107 with three seconds left before Chicago's Wendell Carter Jr. made the second free throw after missing the first. Finney-Smith then threw a long inbound to Doncic, who barely missed from in front of the scorer's table and was annoyed he didn't make it.''I'm supposed to make that shot,'' said Doncic, who practices desperation heaves. ''I wanted to make that shot, but I just missed it.'' Porter played 17 minutes and made three 3s in his first appearance since Nov. 6. Valentine surpassed his previous season high of 16 points, and White continued his strong run. The rookie is averaging more than 28 points over his past five games.Tim Hardaway Jr. led Dallas with 26 points. Doncic scored 23 after sitting out Sunday's win at Minnesota because of a sprained left thumb. Finney-Smith added 18 points. But with Kristaps Porzingis and Seth Curry (lower back tightness) sitting out after dominating the previous day, the Mavericks lost for the second time in three games.''The third quarter was obviously our downfall,'' coach Rick Carlisle said. ''They came out of the locker room with great intensity, and we didn't respond. We did a few things to make runs at them. I loved the way we finished the game in terms of being scrappy, and finding ways to make things happen with steals and putting points on the board. Luka's shot, I was standing right behind it, it was right on the line.'' QUOTABLE''It's going to take some time to feel better. It's getting better.'' - Doncic on his thumb.TIP-INSMavericks: Dallas' 17 points in the third quarter were a season low. ... C Willie Cauley-Stein was available after missing six games for personal reasons. ... G Jalen Brunson (right shoulder sprain) missed his straight fifth game.Bulls: Porter's 18 points were his most ever when playing 20 minutes or less. He scored 15 in 18 minutes for Washington against Houston on March 29, 2015. ... LaVine is day to day. ... F Lauri Markkanen practiced Monday with the Windy City Bulls and is close to returning from a right hip injury that has sidelined him since Jan. 22, coach Jim Boylen said. The 7-footer from Finland is averaging 15 points and 6.5 rebounds.UP NEXTMavericks: Host New Orleans on Wednesday.Bulls: Visit Minnesota on Wednesday.---More NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Mar 02, 2020All eyes will be on Luka Doncic when the Dallas Mavericks visit the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.Doncic, the Mavericks' superstar guard, did not play Sunday afternoon because of a sprained left thumb. His status is uncertain against the Bulls as Dallas aims for its fourth win in the past five games.Doncic, 21, has turned heads ever since he entered the league last season. In his sophomore campaign, the Slovenia native is averaging 28.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists in 48 games.If Dallas is forced to play without Doncic for a second consecutive game, it will turn to 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis to fill the void. Porzingis did exactly that Sunday as he had 38 points and 13 rebounds in a 111-91 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves."Just doing what I do," Porzingis, 24, said to reporters. "I'm not really, like, inventing anything. These are all things I'm capable of doing on both ends of the floor." Chicago enters the game with a day of rest after its 125-115 defeat on the road against the New York Knicks on Saturday evening. It was the 10th loss in 11 games for Chicago, which has twice as many losses (40) as wins (20) this season.Zach LaVine had a team-high 26 points for the Bulls and Coby White added 22 off the bench, but it wasn't enough. The Bulls struggled on defense, allowing the Knicks to shoot 55.3 percent overall from the field.Wendell Carter Jr. returned from a right ankle injury that had sidelined him for almost two months, but he was part of a unit that got outrebounded 50-33. He will look to play with more tenacity against Dallas."I'm not going to blame it on me not being 100 percent," Carter said. "I wasn't physical enough, and that's just something I have to approach every game. I have to make sure my presence is felt on the physical side." That sets the table for an intriguing battle between Carter and Porzingis in the paint.Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle said Porzingis was a perfect fit at center in the Mavericks' lineup. Porzingis also has played power forward in his career."This is a picture of what the future of the five position is going to look like," Carlisle said to reporters. "It will be a guy with great length, can shoot long range, can drive it, can pass it, can protect the rim, can rebound, and knows how to play the game. You stack it all up, this guy is a great young player." This will be the second and final matchup of the regular season between the teams.In the first meeting, Jan. 6 in Dallas, the Mavericks won 118-110. Doncic had a triple-double with 38 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and Dwight Powell contributed 16 points on 6-for-6 shooting from the field.Lauri Markkanen led the Bulls with 26 points in the first matchup against the Mavericks, but since then, Markkanen has been sidelined by injury. LaVine scored 20 points and will look to lead the way this time.--Field Level Media
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