PHOENIX (AP) — Coach Jason Kidd made it clear during an interview before Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals that no matter what happened on Sunday night, the Dallas Mavericks should consider this a successful season.
PHOENIX (AP) — It was no surprise when Luka Doncic looked ready for Game 7, calmly draining his first three shots to give the Dallas Mavericks an early lead.
The stunner came over the next two hours: The top-seeded Phoenix Suns had no response.
PHOENIX (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 35 points, Spencer Dinwiddie added 30 and the Dallas Mavericks stunned the top-seeded Phoenix Suns with a 123-90 Game 7 blowout Sunday night, advancing to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2011.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic has his first victory in an elimination game.
Now the young Dallas superstar gets another one — and another Game 7 to boot.
Doncic scored 33 points and the Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns 113-86 on Thursday night to force a deciding game in the Western Conference semifinals.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 33 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns 113-86 on Thursday night to force a Game 7 in the Western Conference semifinals.
The home team has won all six games, none with a final margin closer than seven points.
LONDON (AP) — Maybe it’s the ćevapi, or the souvlaki, or the mbanga soup.
Whatever it is, there’s no denying the tinge of international flavor when it comes to the NBA elite with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic winning the league’s MVP award for a second straight season Wednesday.
PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 28 points, Deandre Ayton added 20 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Dallas Mavericks 110-80 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
The Suns used a huge third quarter to turn a tight game into a comfortable win.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 26 points and the Dallas Mavericks took advantage of foul trouble for Chris Paul to beat the Phoenix Suns 111-101 on Sunday, evening the Western Conference semifinal series at 2-2.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic tumbled toward the baseline after getting bumped by Chris Paul just before the halftime buzzer, the apprentice showing he has watched one of the masters at drawing fouls.
The trick spurred a critical fourth foul on Paul, setting up the Dallas Mavericks to get even in the Western Conference semifinals.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid's final line in the box score looked a bit pedestrian compared to his usual MVP numbers. But the Philadelphia 76ers center played Game 3 anyway. With a thumb that needs a surgery.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic got the help he and the Dallas Mavericks needed — from Jalen Brunson on offense and himself, Reggie Bullock and others on defense.
The Dallas superstar had 26 points and 13 rebounds, and the Mavericks turned up the defensive pressure to get back in their Western Conference semifinal series with Phoenix, beating the Suns 103-94 on Friday night.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid inspired Philadelphia with his return from a facial injury, Danny Green and Tyrese Maxey each scored 21 points and the 76ers beat the Miami Heat 99-79 on Friday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Philadelphia and Dallas head home trying to stay in conference semifinal series against the top seeds — the 76ers forced again to play without Joel Embiid against Miami, and the Mavericks waiting for someone to help Luka Doncic against Phoenix.
PHOENIX (AP) — Deandre Ayton scored 25 points, Devin Booker added 23 and the top-seeded Phoenix Suns rolled to a 121-114 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have proven they can win playoff games without All-Star Devin Booker. The Dallas Mavericks showed the same when their own superstar Luka Doncic was out of the lineup.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Luke Doncic believes he can score on anyone. To advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time, he had to trust his teammates.
After previous postseasons filled with individual highlights, Doncic shared the ball and the Dallas Mavericks slipped past the Utah Jazz.
Luka Doncic and his teammates remind Jason Kidd a little of the last Dallas Mavericks team to advance in the playoffs.
The coach now was the point guard then when the Mavericks had split the first four games of the 2011 playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic delighted the crowd in his first home playoff game coming off a calf injury.
Frustrated the Utah Jazz as well.
The young Dallas superstar had 33 points and 13 rebounds while also being thrown to the court on a hard foul that led to Hassan Whiteside's ejection as the Mavericks routed the Jazz 102-77 on Monday night for a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.
NEW YORK (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 39 points, Jaylen Brown had 23 and the Boston Celtics took a 3-0 lead over the Brooklyn Nets with a 109-103 victory Saturday night.
Again making things difficult on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with their suffocating defense, the Celtics put themselves in position to sweep their way into the second round with a victory Monday night in Brooklyn.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Rudy Gobert gave Utah the lead with an alley-oop dunk with 11.0 seconds left and the Jazz held off the Dallas Mavericks 100-99 on Saturday in Game 4 to tie the first-round series.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jalen Brunson was lying flat and still, watching his Dallas teammates build a 17-point lead before halftime on the monitor in the locker room.
“I saw how hard the team was playing when I was laying back there,” Brunson said.
The Dallas Mavericks bought some time to get Luka Doncic involved in their first-round series against Utah by winning Game 2 at home without their star.
If Doncic does return from a calf injury this week, it will be in one of the NBA’s toughest arenas for opposing teams.
DALLAS (AP) — Jalen Brunson, Maxi Kleber and the Dallas Mavericks got even in their first-round playoff series with a bunch of a 3-pointers, their fewest turnovers ever in a postseason game, and without injured superstar Luka Doncic.
DALLAS (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 41 points, Maxi Kleber had 25 with eight of Dallas’ playoff-record 22 made 3-points and the Mavericks, without superstar Luka Doncic, evened up their first-round series with a 110-104 win over the Utah Jazz in Game 2 on Monday night.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic is again out for the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of their playoff series against the Utah Jazz, even though coach Jason Kidd said the young superstar guard is continuing to make progress in his recovery from a strained left calf.
DALLAS (AP) — Bojan Bogdanovic put Utah ahead to stay just before halftime, Donovan Michell got aggressive in the second half and the only made shot by Royce O'Neale was a huge one late for the Jazz.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic won't play for the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their playoff series against Utah on Saturday because of the left calf strain the All-Star guard suffered in the regular-season finale.
DALLAS (AP) — Just when the Dallas Mavericks finally earned home-court advantage in the playoffs for the first time since winning the NBA title 11 years ago, they could face multiple games without their top player.
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks are not putting a timetable on Luka Doncic's return from a calf strain four days before the opener of a first-round playoff series against Utah.
The team said Tuesday that the 23-year-old superstar had begun treatment.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Juancho Hernangomez had a season-high 22 points and the Utah Jazz secured ,the fifth seed in the Western Conference with an 111-80 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in the regular-season finale on Sunday night.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic wouldn't have even played in what turned out to be a meaningless regular-season finale for the playoff-bound Dallas Mavericks without a reprieve from the NBA.
The superstar was minutes away from being finished for the night against San Antonio when he strained his left calf.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic strained his left calf in Dallas’ 130-120 victory over San Antonio in what turned out to be a meaningless regular-season finale Sunday night, putting the superstar’s status in question for the playoff-bound Mavericks.
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic strained his left calf in the third quarter and was ruled out for the rest of the regular-season finale against San Antonio on Sunday night.
Doncic had turned to run to the defensive end when he pulled up after the first step and stopped.
Luka Doncic will be able to play for the Dallas Mavericks in their regular-season finale after the NBA office rescinded his 16th technical foul of the season Saturday, wiping out an automatic one-game suspension.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 39 points, 11 rebounds and his 16th technical foul of the season for the Dallas Mavericks, who will open the playoffs at home for the first time since 2011 after their 128-78 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic was assessed his 16th technical foul Friday night and will be suspended for the Dallas Mavericks' regular-season finale unless that call is rescinded by the NBA office.
Doncic was undercut by Portland's Elijah Hughes when taking a shot from beyond midcourt at the end of the first quarter.
DETROIT (AP) — Luka Doncic has helped the Dallas Mavericks win 50 games, a relatively rare feat lately for the franchise.
The All-Star guard had 26 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds to lead Dallas in a 131-113 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.