The Dallas Mavericks’ final road game in the regular season resulted in a 131-113 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Luka Doncic had 26 points, 14 assists, and eight rebounds to lead Dallas, while Jalen Brunson added 24 points by making 9-of-15 shot attempts.
The victory pushed the Mavericks to a 50-win season for the first time in 7 years and only the second time since winning the NBA championship in 2011.
“It’s a great accomplishment,” first-year head coach Jason Kidd said. “The guys in that locker room can’t take that lightly because it’s not easy to do.”
The win also put Dallas (50-30) twenty games above .500 for the first time since 2011, when the team finished the regular season 57-25 and went on to win the NBA title.
The Mavericks are also set to earn home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since their championship-winning 2011 season, when Kidd was their point guard. Dallas must only win one of their two remaining games or have the Utah Jazz lose one of their remaining games to seal home-court.
Reaching the 50-win mark is a significant turnaround for the franchise that started the season with a 17-18 record. Dallas has now won five of their last six to build momentum going into next week’s opening round of the playoffs.
“I think it’s pretty impressive,” Doncic said. “We started the season kind of slow. I’m proud of how we played, and hopefully, we get to 52 (wins).”
Doncic finished the first quarter with 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists but made just 4-of-12 shot attempts. Dallas led by as many as eight points in the first quarter. However, Detroit rallied to take a 34-32 lead going into the second.
The Mavericks pulled ahead again in the second quarter to hold a 65-58 lead at halftime, with Doncic at 16 points and six assists.
Doncic picked up two quick fouls in the third, committing his fourth with 8:05 remaining in the quarter. Kidd decided against taking him out and left Doncic in for his usual third-quarter rotation pattern.
Kidd’s decision turned out to be a wise move, as Doncic powered a big third quarter for the Mavericks. Doncic accounted for 23 points in the quarter, with eight points and six assists to five different teammates.
Overall, the Mavericks made 14-of-17 shot attempts in the third quarter, the first time they have completed at least 80% of their shots in one period since December 2015. The enormous third quarter pushed their halftime lead to 13 points (99-86) at the start of the fourth quarter.
Dallas did not struggle to keep control of the game in the fourth, as the Pistons never got closer than a nine-point deficit the rest of the way. Dallas was efficient from three-point range the entire game, finishing with 15 made three-pointers on 33 attempts.
Doncic showed his brilliance again in the fourth with an unbelievable no-look, behind-the-shoulder pass to Dorian Finney-Smith, who converted it into a corner three. That shot extended the Mavericks’ lead to 21 points with under 4 minutes remaining in the game.
“All we got to do today was get the win,” Doncic said. “We’re known to not win those games [against some losing teams]. We just kind of so-so, but we got a win, so that’s what we came here for.”
Arlington native and No.1 overall draft pick Cade Cunningham finished with 25 points, including 10-of-11 free throws, seven rebounds, and nine assists for the Pistons.
Spencer Dinwiddie added 13 points for Dallas to combine with Doncic and Brunson for 63 points, nearly half of the Mavericks’ total score.
Dallas will end the regular season with two home games, first against Portland on Friday night and then against San Antonio on Sunday.
Ticket sales for the Mavericks’ first two first-round playoff games in the American Airlines Center will go on sale this Saturday at noon. Fans can purchase tickets at mavs.com or by calling 214-214-747. Fans are limited to four tickets per transaction.
If Dallas secures home-court advantage, their first playoff game in the American Airlines Center will be April 16 or 17.