Anthony Davis takes over on both ends in Mavericks win over Nets

The Dallas Mavericks kept things rolling Friday night with a 119–111 home win over the Brooklyn Nets at American Airlines Center, improving to 10–16. It was their fifth win in the last six games and their second straight home victory, the first time they’ve done that this season.

Anthony Davis starred on both sides of the court, finishing with 24 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocked shots in 32–33 minutes. After a quiet first half, Davis took control after the break, scoring 20 of his 24 points in the second half. He played primarily at center with Dallas missing both Dereck Lively II, who will miss the remainder of the season following foot surgery, and Daniel Gafford, who missed his third consecutive game due to a right ankle injury.

Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg provided early offense, scoring 18 of his 22 points in the first half and closing the night with eight assists and five rebounds. Dallas led 65–61 at halftime behind Flagg’s scoring, while Brooklyn stayed close thanks to Michael Porter Jr., who had 21 of his 34 points before the break. Naji Marshall contributed 17 points, Max Christie scored 15 off the bench, P.J. Washington finished with 13 points, and Klay Thompson added 12 points as the Mavericks shot 48.9% from the field.

Brooklyn entered the game having won three of its previous four and looked to Porter Jr. for production, who went 6-of-10 from three-point range and recorded his fourth straight 30-point game, a career first in his seven NBA seasons. Rookie Danny Wolf scored 17 points off the bench, while Nic Claxton posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Nets shot a season-best 17-of-39 (43.6%) from beyond the arc and 45.3% overall.

Brooklyn was sharp from deep, but Dallas dominated near the basket, outscoring the Nets 66–44 in the paint. The Mavericks also held Brooklyn to 28.6% shooting in the fourth quarter, including 2-of-9 from deep. The game featured multiple momentum swings, with the score tied at 90 late in the third quarter and again at 110 with just over three minutes remaining. Dallas closed things out with a 9–1 stretch, thanks to a go-ahead three-pointer by Brandon Williams and clutch baskets from Davis.

The win was the Mavericks’ 19th clutch game of the season, the most in the NBA. They sit in 10th place in the Western Conference and will next travel to face the Utah Jazz on Monday.

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