NBA: Luka Doncic’s triple-double lifts Mavs past Jazz

Luka Doncic scored 29 points and notched his 19th triple-double of the season on Monday night to lead the Dallas Mavericks past the Utah Jazz, 115-105, in Salt Lake City.

Doncic, who finished with 13 assists and 12 rebounds, also scored six points during a decisive 12-0 run in the fourth quarter. Kyrie Irving added 27 points for the Mavericks (42-29), who have won four straight games and eight of their past nine.

Lauri Markkanen led all scorers with 34 points for the struggling Jazz (29-43), who have lost six consecutive games and 17 of 20.

John Collins added 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Collin Sexton tallied 20 points and six assists in the defeat.

Walker Kessler pulled the Jazz, who led by as many as eight in the second quarter, within one with an alley-oop dunk with less than nine minutes remaining in the game. But the Mavericks responded in a big way.

P.J. Washington, who scored 16 points, sparked the 12-0 run with a 3-pointer. He added another 3 between six points from Doncic, whose step-back jumper gave Dallas a 109-96 lead with 4:41 left.

The Jazz only scored 17 points in the final quarter and 39 in the second half after a strong offensive showing in the first half.

Dallas held Utah to 42.5 percent shooting for the game and outscored the hosts 56-44 in the paint. Daniel Gafford accounted for several of those interior points on dunks while scoring 13 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. also had 13.

The Jazz scored 41 points in the first quarter but only led by four after Hardaway drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

Markkanen scored 20 points in the first half to help Utah take a 66-61 lead into the break.

Doncic gave Dallas the lead with a 3-pointer and Irving then dropped in another triple to cap a 13-2 run that put the Mavericks up 83-79 in the third quarter.

Utah pushed back ahead on Markkanen free throws before Dereck Lively II converted an alley-oop dunk to tie it at 88-88 heading into the fourth.

—Field Level Media/Reuters