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3 thoughts on the Mavs’ win vs. Kings: Dallas seals first NBA bubble victory behind Luka Doncic’s latest triple-double

The Mavericks enter a potential playoff preview against the Clippers on a positive note.

After two close losses that frustrated the Mavericks to start play in the NBA bubble, Dallas beat Sacramento 114-110 in overtime Tuesday.

Here are three thoughts from the Mavericks’ first win in Disney World.

Different path, improved result

In the first two restart games, the Mavericks’ offense shined in the first half. Dallas scored at least 73 points before the breaks and led by double-digits. Their stumbles then came in the second-half.

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The Mavericks thrived late against the Kings instead.

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The team has emphasized improved performance in clutch time throughout, what the NBA defines as games within five points in the final five minutes.

Coach Rick Carlisle has tried to balance highlighting the positives with his young players -- improved free-throw shooting and ball security in Sunday’s loss to the Suns, for example -- while focusing on the need to improve late-game execution, especially with the playoffs to start in less than two weeks.

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The Mavericks showed improvement in the final moments of regulation Tuesday, as Tim Hardaway Jr. hit a 3-pointer with 2:20 remaining to cut the Kings’ lead to 95-94, Maxi Kleber tied the game at 95 two possessions later and the Mavericks forced the Kings to miss their last four shots.

The Mavericks outscored the Kings 19-15 in overtime despite Kristaps Porzingis having fouled out with 3:51 remaining in regulation.

Luka Doncic thrives again

In two games in the bubble, Doncic has added to his league-leading triple-double total.

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Despite having his left thumb taped early in the first half, the 21-year-old All-Star tallied 34 points, 20 rebounds, 12 assists and two blocks in 43 minutes against Sacramento.

Doncic’s efficiency from three has lagged at times during the restart — he finished 2 of 6 from three on Tuesday and combined to make 1 of 12 three-point attempts in the first two games — but his physicality in driving to the basket and improved shooting from the foul line have been bonuses.

Doncic -- now the youngest player (21 years and 158 days) in league history to record a triple-double of 30-plus points, 20-plus rebounds and 10-plus assists -- leads the league with 16 triple-doubles this season, ahead of LeBron James and Nikola Jokic (13 apiece).

Heading into a playoff preview

After fizzling late against the Western Conference contending Rockets on Friday and slumping against play-in-hopeful Suns on Sunday, the Mavericks managed to generate some positive momentum entering their potential playoff preview game against the Clippers on Thursday.

The Clippers lost their first game of the restart thanks to a late game-winner from LeBron James, but dominated the Pelicans on Saturday. Los Angeles lost to Phoenix on Tuesday, shortly after the Mavericks’ game ended, when Suns guard Devin Booker hit a spinning jumper, falling to the court, at the buzzer.

Dallas is almost guaranteed to be the No. 7 seed, given the distance between Houston and Oklahoma City in fifth and sixth place. The second-place Clippers (45-22) lead the third-place Nuggets (44-23) by one game in the West standings.

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