Nets drop fourth straight as Luka Doncic scores 31 to lead Mavericks

DALLAS — Luka Doncic showed why he might be the next big thing in the NBA and is the leading vote-getter in All-Star balloting. After a scoreless third quarter in which he sat with four fouls, the 20-year-old superstar took over with 15 fourth-quarter points to lead the Mavericks to a 123-111 victory over the Nets on Thursday night at American Airlines Center.

The Nets held a one-point lead early in the final period before Doncic returned, but they simply couldn’t contain him with the game on the line.

It was a season-high fourth straight loss for the Nets (16-17), who will face the defending champion Raptors on Saturday night at Barclays Center.

Despite being shorthanded, the Nets got great production off the bench to keep it close into the final period, when they took a 96-95 lead on a three-pointer by Taurean Prince. But Doncic entered the game with 10:33 left and asserted himself with 13 points in a 24-10 run that gave the Mavericks a 119-106 lead with 3:18 left.

Asked why the Nets managed only 18 fourth-quarter points, coach Kenny Atkinson said, “Doncic was a big part of that. It’s hard when you don’t get stops. You’re taking it out of the net. Our defense never found a way to stop him. We showed some signs of coming back to life offensively. We hung in there, but we kind of ran out of gas at the end.

“With Doncic, it was pick your poison. He was scoring, and then we started doubling and he kicked to the corner for a big three [by Dorian Finney-Smith for a 114-104 lead] and the floodgates went open. We never found a way to slow him down.”

The Nets had seven players score in double figures, led by Spencer Dinwiddie’s 19 and Dzanan Musa’s 14 off the bench.

Doncic totaled 31 for the Mavs (22-12) and added 13 rebounds and seven assists. The Mavericks got a tremendous boost off the bench from Seth Curry with 25 points and Maxi Kleber with 18. Curry shot 5-for-5 from beyond the arc.

Not only were the Nets without Caris LeVert for the 24th straight game and Kyrie Irving for the 22nd in a row, but Garrett Temple (right knee contusion), who has started at two-guard in place of LeVert, sat out the game.

“I don’t think it’s long term,” Atkinson said of Temple’s injury. “I think it’s a short-term thing. He had some knee soreness, and collectively we decided to use this game as a chance to rest it.”

Down to 11 healthy players, Atkinson shook up his lineup, slotting Rodions Kurucs into Temple’s spot and replacing center Jarrett Allen with the strength of bulky veteran DeAndre Jordan, who had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Nets ran into trouble when Dinwiddie picked up his fourth foul with 10:27 left in the third quarter, and the Mavs took advantage to gain a 79-73 lead. But Theo Pinson, who came off the bench for Dinwiddie, scored nine of his 11 points in the third quarter, including seven in an 18-8 surge that gave the Nets a 91-87 lead. Curry then hit back-to-back threes with Doncic on the bench to keep the score tied at 93 heading to the fourth quarter.

Former North Carolina star Pinson had seen that act before. “He can shoot it,” Pinson said of Curry. “I’ve known that since he was at Duke. I remember that. He does what he does, and that’s shoot the ball at a high level. If you have any slippage, not knowing where he is, he’s going to make a three.”

Notes & quotes: Atkinson confirmed that the Nets have waived David Nwaba with a season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon because they need the roster spot. The Athletic reported that they likely will sign G Leaguer Justin Anderson to a 10-day deal.

By Greg Logan

Gregory.Logan@newsday.comGregLogan1

Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.