Doncic scores 53 in return, Mavericks beat Pistons 111-105

Updated Jan. 30, 2023 11:19 p.m. ET

Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 53 points in his return to the lineup and Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 of his 12 in the fourth quarter as the Dallas Mavericks rallied to beat the Detroit Pistons 111-105 on Monday night.

Four of Doncic’s five career 50-point games have come this season. He scored a career-best 60 against the New York Knicks in a game that went to overtime on Dec. 27.

Doncic had 24 points in the first quarter and 18 in the third. Second in the NBA going in with an average of 33 points per game, he returned after spraining his left ankle three-plus minutes into last Thursday’s game at Phoenix and then missing Saturday’s game at Utah.

Bojan Bogdanovic had 29 points and Saddiq Bey scored 18 — including five 3-pointers — for the Pistons, who have lost six of seven.

Detroit led by 11 in the third quarter and 84-83 going into the fourth. Dallas opened the period on a 9-2 run with Doncic on the bench, as Dinwiddie scored six points on his first three field goals of the game.

The Pistons shook off a 10-0 deficit nearly three minutes in and grabbed their first lead with 4:41 to play in the first quarter. They led 57-53 at halftime.

Bogdanovic scored seven consecutive points and nine of his 14 in the first half during the final three minutes of the second period.

ONE-MAN BAND

Doncic had 18 of Dallas’ first 20 points and 24 of the Mavericks’ 30 in the first quarter, the highest-scoring opening period for an NBA player this season. It was his fourth quarter with at least 20 points this season, tying Brooklyn guard Kyrie Irving for most in the NBA.

TIP-INS

Pistons: Reserve guard Hamidou Diallo, who averages 17 minutes per game, was out with a stomach flu.

Mavericks: Coach Jason Kidd said the team expects a medical update later this week on starting center Christian Wood, who missed his sixth consecutive game with a broken left thumb. … Theo Pinson was assessed a technical foul late in the first quarter while sitting near the end of the bench.

UP NEXT

Pistons: Begin a three-game homestand Wednesday against Washington.

Mavericks: Host the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.

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