Pacers drop Mavericks as Doncic ejected


Reuters | Updated: 20-01-2019 08:09 IST | Created: 20-01-2019 08:09 IST
Pacers drop Mavericks as Doncic ejected

Domantas Sabonis scored 10 of his 16 points during a second-quarter run-away Saturday night, helping the Indiana Pacers ease into a 111-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Indianapolis in a game that featured rookie star Luka Doncic's first career ejection. Sabonis completed a double-double with a team-high 11 rebounds and Tyreke Evans led five Pacers in double figures with 19 points, leading Indiana to a second win in three games on their five-game homestand.

Making his first NBA visit to Indianapolis, Doncic was ejected from the game after getting nailed with a second technical foul for somewhat politely kicking the ball into the stands with 3:00 remaining in the third quarter. The Mavericks trailed 78-65 at the time, and Doncic had totaled only eight points on 3-for-14 shooting. He missed all five of his 3-point attempts.

One of the missed 3-pointers prompted Doncic's first technical, after he thought he'd been bumped while stepping into a 60-footer just before the halftime horn. The eight-point output equaled the third-lowest of his season. He also recorded five rebounds, six assists and three steals in 24 minutes.

Opening a three-day, two-game trip, the Mavericks led by as many as seven points in the first quarter before the Pacers managed a 24-23 edge at period's end. Indiana then dominated the second quarter, outscoring the visitors 34-19 while building as much as an 18-point advantage.

Sabonis had a 3-pointer and a three-point play in his 10-point quarter. Evans and Myles Turner also hit 3-pointers in the period. The Mavericks got no closer than 10 in the third quarter, and no closer than nine in the final period.

Darren Collison (16 points), Turner (12) and Victor Oladipo (12) also scored in double figures for the Pacers, who were coming off a home loss to Philadelphia on Thursday. Oladipo complemented his 12 points with eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Harrison Barnes had a game-high 20 points for the Mavericks, who lost their third straight. DeAndre Jordan recorded a 15-point, 16-rebound double-double for Dallas, while Wesley Matthews had 17 points, Jalen Brunson 12 and Dwight Powell 11.

--Field Level Media

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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