Luka Dončić made his return after missing two games due to a left heel contusion, scoring 27 points in the Dallas Mavericks’ 132-108 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
The All-Star guard described his performance as “OK.”
“Nothing really special,” said Dončić, who also recorded seven rebounds and seven assists in 30 minutes of play. “The important thing was we got the win. I think everybody was involved, and that’s how we’ve got to play.”
Five Mavericks players scored in double figures as the team secured their 14th victory in their last 17 games, improving to a 19-10 record and holding the fourth spot in the Western Conference.
Dončić missed his first shot, a 3-pointer, and ended the first quarter shooting 1-of-6 and 0-of-3 from behind the arc. He finished the game 1-for-7 from three-point range.
In the second quarter, he scored 10 points and had three and-1 plays in the first half.
“Mavs coach Jason Kidd praised Dončić’s ability to use his body to position himself, noting, “He knows the space that he has to get to, and he does it at a very high level.
So, if it’s not an and-1, he’s going to the free throw line. For him being out, getting to the free throw line was important just to get his rhythm.”
