Porzingis' season-high effort lifts Mavericks past Pacers


Reuters | Indianapolis | Updated: 04-02-2020 08:12 IST | Created: 04-02-2020 08:10 IST
Porzingis' season-high effort lifts Mavericks past Pacers
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Kristaps Porzingis recorded season highs in both points (38) and 3-pointers (six) as the Dallas Mavericks posted a 112-103 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday in Indianapolis. Porzingis added 12 rebounds and sank all 12 free-throw attempts en route to surpassing his previous season-high point total of 35, set in Dallas' 128-121 setback in Houston on Friday. The 24-year-old sat out the following night's 123-100 win over Atlanta for rest purposes before jumping out to a fast start with 11 points in the first quarter on Monday.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 25 points and Dorian Finney-Smith added 15 and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks, who improved to 17-7 on the road after defeating Indiana for the fifth time in their last six meetings. Domantas Sabonis collected 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Pacers, who have dropped three of their last four games on the heels of winning seven of their previous eight.

Indiana's Victor Oladipo scored nine points following a dismal 4-of-17 shooting performance from the floor. The All-Star has yet to find his range in his first three games since returning from a gruesome ruptured quad tendon, making just 8 of 39 shots -- including 3 of 21 from beyond the arc. Pacers guard Aaron Holiday had seven points while starting in place of T.J. Warren, who missed his first game of the season after sustaining a concussion in Indiana's 92-85 setback to New York on Saturday.

Sabonis converted a three-point play to pull Indiana to within three at 99-96 with 5:09 to play, but Finney-Smith highlighted a 7-2 surge with a 3-pointer. The Pacers again tried to narrow the gap as Malcolm Brogdon made a pair of shots from the perimeter, but Porzingis and Jalen Brunson each made a pair of free throws to seal the win. Porzingis made three 3-pointers to help the Mavericks secure a 25-22 lead after the first quarter before Indiana went on a 20-9 run to briefly take control in the second. Porzingis, however, continued his sharp shooting from beyond the arc to trim the Pacers' lead to 55-53 at intermission.

Dallas' J.J. Barea sustained a sprained left ankle in the first half and did not return to the contest.

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

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