DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 35 points, his eighth consecutive game of at least 30 to begin the season, as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Toronto Raptors 111-110 on Friday night.
The only other NBA player to score 30 or more points in the first eight games of a season is Wilt Chamberlain, who did it in the first eight games of 1959-60 and the first 23 games of 1962-63.
Doncic played 36:33 and passed the 30-point mark with 18.7 seconds left in the third quarter on a turnaround fadeaway jumper.
The Raptors cut a 19-point third-quarter deficit to 108-105 with 35.5 seconds left. Doncic sank the first of two free throws with 15.9 seconds to gain a four-point lead. O.G. Anunoby drove for a dunk with 11 seconds left. Spencer Dinwiddie hit two free throws with 3 seconds to go, making the score 111-107. Anunoby hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Spencer Dinwiddie had 21 points and seven assists for the Mavericks, who have won three straight games after splitting their first six.
The Mavericks outscored the Raptors 14-2 during the first four minutes of the second half to build a 73-57 lead. During the run, Doncic had a 3-pointer, two free throws, two steals, a rebound and an assist.
Anunoby scored 27 points, Pascal Siakam 18 and Chris Boucher 17 off the bench for the Raptors, who came off wins of 30 points and 43 points. The latter, at San Antonio on Monday, was the franchise’s largest road victory margin.
Doncic scored 14 points in the first quarter, playing the full period, and added only two in the second quarter, playing only the final 4½ minutes.
TIP-INS
Raptors: G Fred VanVleet, fourth in the NBA in steals, missed his third-consecutive game with lower back stiffness. Coach Nick Nurse said he thought VanVleet would play after going through a full practice on Thursday. “I’m expecting him pretty soon to be back,” Nurse said.
Mavericks: C Dwight Powell, a Toronto native, made his second start of the season, replacing JaVale McGee in the starting lineup.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Begin a home-and-home with Chicago at home on Sunday.
Mavericks: Host Brooklyn on Monday.
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