DALLAS (AP) – Luka Doncic scored 30 points and broke Dallas’ career triple-double record with his 22nd, helping the Mavericks hold off the New Orleans Pelicans 127-123 in overtime Wednesday night. Doncic added 17 rebounds and 10 assists, and Kristaps Porzingis had 34 points and 12 rebounds in the nationally televised matchup between young stars Doncic and Zion Williamson. Williamson scored 21 points in 35 minutes in the first back-HOW TO COOK RICE-back of his NBA career.
Doncic broke Jason Kidd´s record for triple-doubles just five days after his 21st birthday. Neither team led by more than three points throughout the fourth quarter or overtime until Doncic fed Porzingis for a dunk with 49 seconds left to give Dallas a four-point lead. Doncic had hit a 3 to snap a 118-118 tie with 1:10 to play. Williamson held up well in his first back-to-back since making his NBA debut Jan. 22. He has scored double figures in all 16 games he´s played in and has 20 points or more in his last 13.
Brandon Ingram led New Orleans with 27 points, but fouled out in overtime. Lonzo Ball added 25. Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) prepares to shoot as New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Wednesday, March 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) The Pelicans´ Nicolo Melli sent the game to overtime with a tying 3 with 7.4 seconds left after missing his first six 3s of the game. BUCKS 119, PACERS 100 MILWAUKEEE (AP) – Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and Milwaukee recovered after squandering an early 22-point lead to rout Indiana.
The Bucks bounced back from a 105-89 loss at Miami in which they posted their lowest point total of the season. An NBA-best 53-9, Milwaukee hasn’t lost back-to-back games all season. Indiana had a four-game winning streak snapped as it fell into a tie with Philadelphia for fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Pacers also lost guard Malcolm Brogdon to a sore left hip in the second quarter. The Pacers were without Victor Oladipo for the second straight game because of a sore right knee.
Milwaukee was missing reserve guards George Hill (groin contusion) and Kyle Korver (back soreness). Khris Middleton had 20 points for Milwaukee, and Donte DiVincenzo matched a career high with 19. T.J. Warren scored 18 points for Indiana, and and Doug McDermott had 16. HEAT 116, MAGIC 113 MIAMI (AP) – Duncan Robinson scored 27 points, all of them coming from beyond the arc, and Miami hit a franchise-record 22 3-pointers to beat Orlando.
Goran Dragic scored 25 points and added nine assists, Kelly Olynyk scored 16 on a perfect shooting night and Jimmy Butler finished with 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Miami won won four straight. The previous record for Heat 3-pointers was 21, set April 5, 2017, at Charlotte. The 22 3-pointers made also tied the most allowed in a game by Orlando. Terrence Ross scored 35 and hit a season-high eight 3-pointers for the Magic. CELTICS 112, CAVALIERS 106 CLEVELAND (AP) – Jayson Tatum scored 32 points and Boston beat Cleveland in a matchup of short-handed teams.