LUKA Dončić sank a stumbling, off-balance three-point floater as time expired to give the Dallas Mavericks a stunning 114-113 victory over the hosts Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
Doncic scored 25 of his 29 points in the second half and finished with nine assists to help Dallas end a two-game slide. Kristaps Porziņģis added 21 points for the Mavericks.
Grayson Allen matched his career best of six three-pointers and scored 23 points to lead the Grizzlies, but he missed two free throws with 2.2 seconds left to set the stage for Dončić’s game-winning shot.
Dwight Powell rebounded Allen’s second miss and the Mavericks called time out with 1.8 seconds left. Dončić got the ball on the inbounds pass and his left foot was clearly behind the three-point line as he got the shot up in time. It swished through the net.
Powell added 12 points and eight rebounds, and Tim Hardaway, Jr. had 11 points for the Mavericks.
Jonas Valančiūnas had 19 points and 15 rebounds to extend his Memphis franchise-record double-double streak to 16 straight games. He also has reached double figures in rebounding in 23 consecutive contests.
Ja Morant scored 17 points, Dillon Brooks added 15, and Desmond Bane had 11 for the Grizzlies, who dropped to 5-3 in April.
Valančiūnas slammed home a dunk and Kyle Anderson buried a three-pointer to give the Grizzlies a 111-106 lead with 2:07 left. Porziņģis and Dončić both drove for baskets to pull Dallas within one with 25.7 seconds left.
Morant made two free throws with 24.7 seconds left to give Memphis a three-point edge. Dončić split two free throws with 3.2 seconds left before Allen missed the two clutch free throws.
Dallas shot 50% from the field, including 13 of 40 from three-point range.
Memphis made 47.2% of its shots and was 13 of 34 from behind the arc.
Bane drained a three-pointer with 3.5 seconds remaining to give the Grizzlies an 89-83 advantage entering the final stanza.
Allen buried his sixth three-pointer with 6:38 left to complete a 7-0 run as Memphis took a 100-94 lead before the Mavericks rallied to knot the score.
Allen had 17 first-half points as Memphis held a 60-57 lead at the break. — Reuters
