DALLAS — The Mavericks faced the Hawks on Sunday without their starting frontcourt — again.
But during their 103-94 victory, their point guard depth became even more of a concern.
Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson spent the majority of the third quarter on the bench with five fouls apiece. Trey Burke, their rotation-fringe replacement, drew his fifth early in the fourth quarter, too.
That should’ve spelled doom for Dallas, especially against the Hawks’ All-Star ball-handler Trae Young, right? The Mavericks didn’t think so.
Doncic still tallied 18 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to complete his ninth triple-double of the season — and his second in three days. Reggie Bullock added 22 points in 38 minutes, including consecutive dagger 3-pointers inside the two minutes, and played stifling defense against Young.
The Mavericks held the Hawks to 18 points in the fourth quarter — just three more than the number of fouls their point guard trio managed to play through.
The Hawks might’ve exposed the best way to slow Doncic’s season-best roll: foul trouble.
Doncic has thrived in recent weeks, averaging nearly a triple-double (31.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and 10 assists) in nine games since Jan. 19, but he couldn’t elude whistles Sunday like he does most defenders.
He drew his third foul with 2:50 left before halftime, and Jason Kidd elected to keep his superstar in the game, turning to a zone defense in hopes of limiting Doncic’s contact before half.
But the risk didn’t work.
Referees called Doncic for a charge 44.9 seconds before halftime.
Back to the bench.
Doncic opened the third on the court, but after the Hawks missed a shot less than a minute into the period and the ball trickled out, he and Young both tried to grab possession.
Until Young flailed backward and officials whistled Doncic, again.
Doncic threw his arms up in disbelief. He walked off the corner of the court, past rows of fans.
He received a technical for his reaction — which, luckily for the Mavericks, didn’t count toward his personal foul count in the game — and spent the rest of the period on the bench.
He hugged Brunson when his fellow 2018 point guard draftee walked off the court midway through the third with his fifth foul, too.
At that point, Dorian Finney-Smith was the Mavericks’ only regular starter on the court.
The Hawks responded with an 8-0 run to tie the game at 72, but the Mavericks — with Trey Burke at point — pulled ahead 80-76 at the end of the third.
Moments after Burke drew his fifth, completing the Mavericks’ point guard foul-trouble trifecta, Doncic returned with 9:02 remaining and helped finish one of the Mavericks’ most clutch defensive games.
Bullock served as the Mavericks’ primary defender against Young, who finished with 17 points while shooting 6 of 19 from the floor and 0 of 6 from three.
Hawks forward John Collins — a potential Mavericks trade target at Thursday’s deadline — found frequent openings to record 22 points and 18 rebounds.
But the Mavericks’ frontcourt absences didn’t keep them from registering a ninth victory in the last 13 games.
Dallas on Saturday ruled out Kristaps Porzingis (right knee bone bruise) and Sterling Brown (left foot soreness) for a fourth and 10th consecutive game, respectively. Maxi Kleber, who at first was questionable to play, was inactive for a second time in three nights with left knee swelling.
Kidd said Kleber might’ve gotten “bumped” during Wednesday’s loss to Oklahoma City, but the effusion appeared to be ”just part of the season.”
When asked before the game whether Porzingis was getting closer to returning more than eight days after he first left the Jan. 29 win over Indiana with what the team labeled right knee soreness, Kidd said “I don’t know.” But what Kidd did know: The Mavericks didn’t want to allow the Hawks to be the more aggressive team again.
Dallas opened the season with a 113-84 loss in Atlanta, when their offense appeared disjointed with off-balance spacing and their defense was still two months away from generating its top-five efficiency.
Officials appeared to consider the Mavericks too physical at times.
But not enough for foul trouble to disrupt the win.
