DALLAS _ Luka Doncic showed why he might be the next big thing in the NBA and is the leading vote-getter in All-Star balloting. After a scoreless third quarter in which he sat with four fouls, the 20-year-old superstar took over with 15 fourth-quarter points to lead the Mavericks to a 123-111 victory over the Nets Thursday night at American Airlines Center.
The Nets actually held a one-point lead early in the final period before Doncic returned, but they simply couldn't contain him with the game on the line. It was a season-high fourth straight loss for the Nets (16-17).
The shorthanded Nets got balanced scoring and great production off the bench to keep it close into the final period, when they took a brief 96-95 lead on a three-pointer by Taurean Prince. But Doncic entered the game with 10:33 left to play and asserted himself with 13 points in an explosive 24-10 run to gain a 119-106 cushion with 3:18 left.
