Brunson scores 27 points, Mavericks beat Hawks 123-100
DALLAS (AP) - Jalen Brunson scored 27 points in his ninth start of the season, Dorian Finney-Smith added 22 points and Maxi Kleber 18 as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Atlanta Hawks 123-100 on Saturday night in a game between teams with depleted rosters.
Brunson scored 19 points in the first half, nearly surpassing his previous season high of 21. He scored 13 in the second quarter as Dallas took control. Finney-Smith matched his season best.
The Mavericks were missing their top two scorers, Luka Doncic (sprained right ankle) and Kristaps Porzingis (recovering from a left knee injury), for the first time in the same game. They lost another starter, Dwight Powell, for the season on Jan. 21 with a torn right Achilles.
Dallas built a 62-49 halftime lead and extended that advantage to 29 points in the third quarter.
John Collins led the Hawks with 26 points and had 11 rebounds. Kevin Huerter scored 20 points.
Trae Young, who averaged 31.7 points in January, opened February with 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting and left the game late in the third quarter with a right ankle sprain. One game after having a career-high 18 assists, Young had one assist.
Atlanta forward De'Andre Hunter, who has made 47 starts this season, didn't play because of a left ankle sprain.
Willie Cauley-Stein, acquired by Dallas four days after Powell was lost, made his first start fors the Mavericks. He had seven points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes.
The Hawks raced to a 15-5 lead in the first four minutes with Huerter hitting all three of the team's 3-point shots. But the Mavericks answered with a 12-2 run to tie the score less than three minutes later. Dallas closed the period with a 19-9 spurt, beginning with a 16-foot pull-up jumper by Brunson with 5:33 left in the first quarter for the game's only lead change.
Rick Carlisle has 500 wins as Mavericks coach and is the franchise leader.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Cam Reddish left the game late in the first quarter with a face contusion. ... Bruno Fernando (left calf strain) missed his second straight game.
Mavericks: Maxi Kleber made his 11th start of the season. ... Carlisle said sitting Porzingis was decided before Friday's game at Houston, where Porzingis scored a season-high 35 points in a 128-121 loss.
UP NEXT
Hawks: Host the Boston Celtics on Monday.
Mavericks: Visit the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
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