The Dallas Mavericks (13-8) got Luka Dončić back from a wrist injury in the second game of another back-to-back set, and they needed everything he could give them against the Portland Trail Blazers (8-13) at Moda Center as Kyrie Irving (shoulder soreness), Klay Thompson (left foot plantar fascia), Derek Lively II (right knee hyperextension) and Naji Marshall (illness) all sat after Saturday 106-94 win at the Utah Jazz. Dončić responded with 36 points, 13 assists and three steals on defense, leading the Mavs to a great 137-131 victory over the Blazers, who had to give it their all in the loss.

The Mavs have now won four straight and eight of their last nine games, each with different groups of big players missing. The word of the day, boys and girls, is serenity. Six Dallas Mavericks scored in double figures in the win, and four of them scored 19 or more. Quentin Grimes played a big role as the backup starter, and Spencer Dinwiddie and Daniel Gafford combined for 39 more points for the Mavs in the win.

Here are six key stats that show how the Mavs maintained their composure to fend off the raging Trail Blazers squad.

14: First quarter total sales

Mavs fans are no strangers to sloppy starts, but Sunday night’s game had a particular stink. Portland turned the ball over eight times in the first quarter, including twice in the first minute of the game. Deni Avdija had scored three goals within six minutes after coming on as a substitute.

The Mavs had six turnovers of their own in the first game. Dončić and PJ Washington had a pair each early on. Portland turned the ball over twice more in the first two minutes of the second, giving the Trail Blazers an even 10 after just 14 minutes. And yet the Mavericks somehow managed to take their first lead of the game until five minutes into the second quarter when Gafford’s 3-point play after a clever inside pass from Quentin Grimes gave Dallas a brief 39:38 lead.

Dallas won the turnover battle 21-13 and only committed seven more turnovers in the final three quarters of the game. Dallas scored 33 points on those 21 turnovers in Portland, which ultimately led to one of the big equalizers for the Mavs in the win.

6 of 6: Luka Dončić shoots in the second quarter

After shaking off some rust on 2-of-7 shooting in the first quarter, Dončić left late in the second quarter and the Mavs raced to a 61-58 lead before halftime. He scored 15 goals in the quarter on 6 of 6 shooting, including 3 of 3 from 3-point range.

Dončić scored the Mavs’ final 10 points of the second half, including a pretty 3-ball return and a nifty turnaround jumper in the final 46 seconds of the half to give Dallas the lead before halftime. Dončić led all scorers at halftime with 20 points and was on the triple-double list with eight assists and six boards.

Dončić’s efficiency was infectious in the second period as Dallas shot 13 of 23 from the field and 5 of 8 as a team from 3-point range. He finished the night with 36, 13 and seven goals on 15 of 24 shooting and 4 of 10 from 3-point range.

16-6: Mavs’ run to start the third quarter

Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images

Jaden Hardy and Quentin Grimes fueled a small 16-6 run in the first four minutes of the third quarter as the pair started hot, going a combined 4-of-4 from 3-point territory during the run.

Hardy’s three 3-balls gave him 11 points, and all five Maverick starters had reached double figures in another balanced offensive attack. Grimes stole the ball from Anfernee Simons and then leaked out in transition for a wide-open jam that put Dallas up 79-67 with 8:13 left in the third. Grimes was a steady presence throughout the game – he made his first three-pointer with just under four minutes left in the first quarter. He then took the ball away from Deni Avdija and converted a pass through a crowded lane in transition to keep the Mavericks within five, trailing just 27-22, after a sluggish offensive start. Grimes came into the game averaging 14.7 points this year and his big night was crucial for the Mavs in Portland. Hardy finished with 13 points and three boards in the win.

21-7: Portland’s run in response

Then the Mavericks gave it all back. They led 80-69 when Simons scored 17 of Portland’s next 19 points in a 21-7 run. He shot 8 of 9 from the field, including 5 of 5 from 3-point land, in the first nine minutes of the third period. He was unconscious and the Mavs defense seemed helpless to stop him.

Simons scored a career-high 24 points in the third quarter after picking up his fourth foul midway through the second quarter. His fifth 3-pointer of the third put Portland ahead 88-87 with 3:45 left, and the next time he followed it up with a driving finger roll to give the Blazers a 90-87 lead with 2:51 left. to gain a head start. Simons picked up his fifth foul just seconds before the end of the third period and then took a tough sixth foul shot with 9:12 to play.

13: Quentin Grimes points in the third quarter

Simons’ explosion was the big headline of the third period, but don’t forget the 13 big points Quentin Grimes scored for Dallas. He shot 5 of 7 from the field and answered Simons’ supernova streak with just enough offense to keep the Mavs ahead of the hard-attacking Blazers.

Grimes also failed on his three 3-point attempts in the quarter as the Mavs and Blazers battled to a 39-39 tie, including a 3-pointer from the left wing with a hand in his face that gave the Mavericks the 100 point equalizer. 97 ahead of fourth. The 13 points in the third gave Grimes 23 points for the game at that point, his third straight 20-point game.

Grimes seems genuine. He finished the season with a season-high 28 points, four rebounds and five big steals, including one that iced the game when he picked Shaedon Sharpe’s pocket with 35 seconds to play and found Gafford open under the basket for a dunk that led to 134-129.

18 of 31 (58.1%): Portland 3-point shooting

Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images

This game was actually insane, and perhaps the best proof of its ridiculousness is that the Blazers were collectively on fire from deep all night in the loss. After entering Sunday’s game with a 33% hit rate on 3-point attempts this year, they simply couldn’t miss the mark, especially in the second half. Simons shot 6 of 8 from 3-point land before being fouled in 24 minutes. Toumani Camara, who scored a season-high 17 points, prevailed 5-7 after a loss. Advija also shot 2 of 4 on his 3-point attempts.

The Blazers shot 6 of 9 from long range in the third period and hit five of their first six goals in the fourth period, leaving the game down to just one possession down the stretch. Advija’s 3-point play in the lane with just under two minutes to play tied the game, 127-127. Portland shot 72% from the field in the fourth quarter. It’s both frustrating that Dallas’ defense allowed such a shooting rhythm to a team that isn’t very good, and it’s amazing that they survived the onslaught and came out of Portland with the win.

Portland shot 18 of 31 from 3-point range in the loss, compared to 18 of 36 (50%) for Dallas. The Blazers went 49 of 84 (58.3%) from the field in the loss, and Dallas shot 48 of 87 (55.2%) in the win.

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