Luka Doncic scores 35 points, Mavericks beat Grizzlies 120-113 for 3rd straight win

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 35 points, Dereck Lively II added 16 points and 16 rebounds, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Memphis Grizzlies 120-113 on Monday night.

Jaden Hardy scored 19 points off the Dallas bench and Dante Exum had 16 points for the Mavericks, who have won three straight.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a season-high 41 points and Desmond Bane added 28 for Memphis. Vince Williams Jr. finished with 10 points, the only other Memphis player to score in double figures.

Dallas led by 21 points early in the fourth quarter and continually held off Memphis' attempts to rally. Doncic finished 9 of 21 from the field and 5 of 10 on 3-pointers, including his 1,000th career 3 to open the fourth.

Dallas played without Kyrie Irving, who missed his first game since a right heel contusion suffered in Friday's win over Portland. Tim Hardaway, the Mavericks' sixth man, was a late scratch because of back spasms. The pair collectively averages 40 points per game.

The Mavs' Derrick Jones Jr. left the game in the first quarter with a left quad contusion.

Memphis continued to play without its leading scorer from last season, Ja Morant, who is serving the final games of his 25-game suspension to open the season after incidents where he displayed a gun. Morant's absence and some key injuries have the Grizzlies near the bottom of the league in scoring at 106 points per game.

The Mavericks used 23 points from Doncic and 55% shooting to carry a 67-51 lead into halftime.

UP NEXT

Mavericks: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday

Grizzlies: At Houston on Wednesday.

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