1. BARNES TRADED DURING THE GAME: There’s no way to tell it other than to say it was really strange to see Harrison Barnes sitting on the bench with Wednesday’s game on the line. But Barnes was on the bench because at some point in the third quarter, word circulated that he had been traded to the Sacramento Kings. Barnes also was notified of the trade during the game. Coach Rick Carlisle said Barnes was “very professional” when he discussed the trade with him after the game. For the Mavs, Barnes was first class on and off the court.
  2. LUKA TRIPLE THREAT: Luka Doncic continues to sparkle. The 6-7 playmaker registered his third career triple-double Wednesday, finishing the game with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. The last member of the Mavs to collect three triple-doubles in one season was Jason Kidd, who accomplished that feat during the 2008-’09 campaign. Doncic was well on his way to the triple-double by halftime when he already had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists at the game’s midway point. What’s more amazing is that all three of Doncic’s triple-doubles came in his last seven games.
  3. BREAKOUT GAME FOR DORIAN: Dorian Finney-Smith had his best game of the season and one of the best game of this career on Wednesday. Running the court, burying jumpers and attacking the basket at will, Finney-Smith wound up with his first career double-double as he finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The 15 points are his second-highest production of the season, topped only by the 19 points he poured in against the New York Knicks on Nov. 2. Finney-Smith was 7-of-11 from the field. And the seven made field goals are topped only by the eight he made against the Knicks over three months ago.
  4. HARDAWAY MAKES SUCCESSFUL DEBUT: Mavs fans gave Tim Hardaway Jr. a warm welcome when he entered Wednesday’s game for the first time less than five minutes into the contest. And his first basket was a memorable one – an alley-oop dunk pass that he received from rookie Luka Doncic that brought down the house. Acquired during a seven-player, two draft pick trade with the New York Knicks last week, Hardaway played 26 minutes, scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds, blocked a shot, picked up a steal and was 5-of-16 from the field.
  5. POWELL’S BEST PERFORMANCE: Backup center Dwight Powell took advantage of the minutes he received to fill up the stat sheet Wednesday. In registering his second double-double of the season, Powell scored 11 points, hauled in a season-high 12 rebounds, collected a season-high tying two steals and blocked a season-high tying two shots in a season-high 27 minutes off the bench. It was arguably Powell’s best all-around game of the season and one that the Mavs needed after they traded starting center DeAndre Jordan to the Knicks last week.

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