The Dallas Mavericks won against the Toronto Raptors with a score of 136-125 on Luka Doncic’s 25th birthday, ending a two-game losing run. Coach Jason Kidd stressed the importance of a solid performance following losses to the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers, referring to it as a “big character game.”

“This is a significant game,” Kidd stated prior to the contest. “When discussing our performance in the fourth quarter in Indiana, I believe we showed progress in the Cleveland game.” Hopefully, we can once again make improvements.

Although the Raptors took an early 6-2 lead, the Mavs prevented Toronto from dominating the game. Dallas gained a 16-14 lead over the Raptors when Luka Doncic sent an alley-oop pass to P.J. Washington for a dunk while being double-teamed. 

The Raptors gained an advantage in the first quarter by aggressively targeting the area near the basket. After Immanuel Quickly executed a scoop finish, Toronto took the lead with a score of 23-18.

Doncic’s no-look hook pass against a double team led to Tim Hardaway Jr. scoring a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, allowing the Mavs to restore a three-point lead. The Mavericks took a 46-39 lead after Doncic made a challenging shot and drew a foul, but a jump shot by Kyrie Irving was nullified following a video review, leading to a change in the score. 

Toronto shot 42.9% from the floor and 33.3% from the perimeter, causing the Mavs to struggle with reducing turnovers. Both teams failed to establish a lead before halftime. At the end of the second quarter, the Raptors led 67-66 after scoring five consecutive points. 

The Raptors used an aggressive strategy to routinely double-team Doncic, leading to an unusually high number of turnovers in the first half. Doncic scored 14 points, made eight assists, and grabbed four rebounds before halftime. However, he had a shooting percentage of 4-12 from the field and 1-6 from three-point range, along with four turnovers.

After halftime, the Mavericks benefited from Dereck Lively II’s strong presence in the key, while Doncic focused on passing to teammates while playing a different role on the court. Dallas had an 84-79 lead halfway through the third quarter after an 8-0 scoring streak by Washington, Irving, Lively, and Doncic. 

Doncic sent the ball to Dante Exum, who returned from a 13-game injury hiatus, for a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer after drawing a double team in the post. Doncic consistently drove into the key, utilised his skillful playmaking, and connected with Daniel Gafford on a pass that led to a transition slam and an additional free throw, helping the Mavs extend their lead to 14 points on many occasions. 

Dallas led 106-92 after outscoring the Raptors 40-25 in the third quarter. Toronto failed to make a comeback as Irving had a strong fourth quarter, scoring 15 of his 29 points in that period. Dallas had a 14-point lead at the middle of the final quarter and easily secured the win. 

The Mavericks will finish their road trip by playing against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.