DALLAS — Uncertainty looms across the NBA as the league’s Thursday afternoon trade deadline has spurred transactions and rampant speculation over the last few days.
But, the Mavericks made sure to leave no one guessing about their on-court success Tuesday night.
Dallas downed the Detroit Pistons 116-86 behind Luka Doncic’s latest masterpiece.
The 22-year-old All-Star tallied 33 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 33 minutes while shooting 9 of 18 from the floor, 5 of 9 from three and 10 of 14 from the foul line.
The stat line marked his 32nd career game with at least 30 points and 10 assists, tying him with Oscar Robertson for the most in NBA history before age 23.
The Mavericks’ 35-point lead with nine minutes remaining, when Doncic checked out for the last time, was likely the only factor that kept Doncic from logging a third triple-double in as many games.
The outing marked the Mavericks’ last before the trade deadline. They next face the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night more than five hours afterward. If Tuesday was the last run with this iteration of the roster, they ended on a dominant, decisive note.
Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith, the Mavericks’ most marketable trade inclusions, outside Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, didn’t appear distracted by the prospect of a potential move later this week.
Brunson tallied 21 points and seven assists while shooting 7 of 11 from the field in 26 minutes. Finney-Smith, after facing first-quarter foul trouble, added 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in 29 minutes.
Along with Trey Burke’s 18 points off the bench, they supported Doncic’s production in a game where he often drove through the Pistons’ defense with the ease of a non-contact scrimmage.
In a couple of instances, however, Doncic endured a few mishaps that left him chuckling — or pouting.
After referees assessed him a technical foul for arguing just 6:05 into the game, Doncic leaned against the Mavericks’ hoop, crossed his arms and looked like someone had put him in timeout.
Perhaps Doncic was especially miffed about drawing his 11th technical in 40 games this season, the second-most in the league and five more from the NBA’s automatic one-game suspension after No. 16.
But, that didn’t disrupt Doncic’s recent roll.
He extended his career-long streak to seven games with double-digit assists. One came on a no-look lob from just past half-court to connect with Finney-Smith on an alley-oop dunk.
Just before that, Doncic swished his fifth of five 3-pointers from 29 feet out, adjacent to the center-court logo.
The highlights came as part of the Mavericks’ 24-8 run over the last seven minutes of the third quarter to make their 14-point halftime lead untouchable.
Though the Pistons entered the game tied for an NBA-low 12 wins this season, the Mavericks’ roll against a lottery-bound team wasn’t a guarantee.
Last week, Dallas fell to the Magic — tied with Detroit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference — and the 17-36 Thunder in consecutive games.
The skid started when Porzingis missed his first game with a right knee bone bruise — Jan. 30 in Orlando — and the 26-year-old center remained out Tuesday.
Porzingis posted a message to fans on his Instagram story before the game, noting he was “getting closer!!!” But, he still watched from the bench, this time in a brown turtleneck, as the Pistons dominated offensive rebounds (13 to six) and second-chance points (26 to one).
Detroit played with lingering uncertainty, too.
Forward Jerami Grant has long been viewed as one of the players more likely to be dealt by Thursday’s trade deadline, and Rookie of the Year candidate Cade Cunningham sat out Tuesday with a right hip pointer.
Cunningham’s fourth consecutive absence for the injury was likely his most disappointing.
The 19-year-old Arlington native, who played his first two high school seasons from 2016-18 at Arlington Bowie, greeted friends and family in the arena and worked through a rigorous shooting regimen during pregame warm-ups.
But he watched the game from the Pistons’ bench in a green puffer jacket, not his uniform.
Cunningham, who drew comparisons to Doncic’s size and point-guard skill-set before the draft, had a front-row view as Doncic’s dominance gave way to ample time for reserves to close.
