NBA: Doncic, Mavs blow out Cavs by 42

Luka Doncic collected 30 points and 14 assists as the Dallas Mavericks recorded a sweep of their four-game homestand with a convincing 143-101 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Doncic, who shot 11 of 18 from the floor before sitting out the fourth quarter, became the eighth Mavericks player to score 30-plus points in three straight games.

The last such player to accomplish the feat was Dirk Nowitzki (2010), who received a standing ovation from the crowd after being shown on the Jumbotron during the first quarter.

Nowitzki, who was sitting next to owner Mark Cuban and spotted with former teammates Shawn Marion and Michael Finley, was making his first visit to American Airlines Center since retiring after last season.

Nowitzki saw quite a performance from the home team, which surpassed 140 points for the second consecutive game. Justin Jackson had 19 points and Kristaps Porzingis scored 17 and added four blocks while playing in his 200th career game.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 16 points in just 18 minutes for Dallas, which had seven players finish in double-digit scoring to complete a two-game season sweep of Cleveland.

The Mavericks posted a 131-111 victory over the Cavaliers on Nov. 3.

Darius Garland highlighted his 23-point performance with five 3-pointers and Cedi Osman chipped in with 18 points for Cleveland, which has lost six in a row.

Dallas scored the last five points of the first quarter and began the second with a 19-3 run to build a 48-29 lead.

Jackson drained a pair of 3-pointers to highlight his 9-point run in that stretch, but it was Porzingis' rejection of Tristan Thompson's layup attempt and subsequent Maxi Kleber dunk at the other end that drew the biggest response from the crowd.

The Mavericks kept humming along, shooting 53.8 percent from the floor and 50 percent (8 of 16) from 3-point range to seize a 66-42 lead at halftime.

The third quarter saw more of the same, with Doncic calmly sinking a step-back 3-pointer to stake Dallas to an 80-48 advantage.

Garland answered by sandwiching 3-pointers around Thompson's hook shot, but Dallas stemmed the tide as Porzingis converted Doncic's alley-oop pass to ignite another run.

The Mavericks erupted for 45 points in the quarter to claim a 111-71 advantage before putting it on cruise control in the fourth.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

US billionaire Buffett challenges Trump to reveal tax returns

WASHINGTON - US billionaire Warren Buffett challenged Donald Trump Monday to release his tax returns, a feat which the Republican presidential candidate has so far resisted.

Trump has said he won't release the documents because he is under audit, which Buffett -- one of the world's richest men -- suggested is a weak excuse.

"Now I've got news for him, I'm under audit too," Buffett said, speaking at a Hillary Clinton rally in Nebraska. "You're only afraid if you got something to be afraid about."

"He's afraid because of you," Buffett told the attendees.

Buffett suggested he and Trump meet "any place, any time" before election day to publicly go over their tax records together.

The business magnate also sharply criticized Trump for a recent dispute with the parents of a slain Muslim American soldier.

Pakistani immigrant Khizr Khan galvanized the Democratic National Convention with a tribute to his dead son in which he rebuked the Republican nominee for having "sacrificed nothing" for the country.

In an interview aired on ABC Sunday, Trump insisted he had, in fact, made "a lot of sacrifices" for the United States.

Buffett declared otherwise: "Donald Trump and I haven't sacrificed anything," he said, referencing Trump's remark.

"How in the world can you stand up to a couple of parents who have lost a son and talk about sacrificing because you were building a bunch of buildings?"

Buffett is one of several extremely wealthy Americans to back Clinton for president, including billionaire and independent former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Thunder roll to series win over Mavs

Before the Dallas Mavericks tipped off in a crucial playoff game on Monday, team owner Mark Cuban decided to add a little spice to an already burning series with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The outspoken Cuban told reporters that Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook was just an All Star and not a superstar.

For most players, the comment would just be background noise. For someone like Westbrook, it was lighter fluid for an already burning motor.

Westbrook helped end the Mavericks' season, leading the Thunder to an 118-104 victory in Game 5 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Westbrook was asked after the game to respond to Cuban's comments. Thunder team mate Kevin Durant jumped in with an assist.

"He's an idiot," Durant said of Cuban. "He's idiot. That's what we've got to say about that. Next question."

Oklahoma City won the series 4-1 to advance to a Western Conference semifinal against the Spurs. Game 1 will be Saturday at San Antonio.

Westbrook racked up 36 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists Monday, shooting 13-for-23 from the floor. Durant scored 33 points on 11-of-24 shooting to go along with seven rebounds. Steven Adams added 15 points and 10 boards.

"I will tell you this, I'm happy he's on my team," Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said of Westbrook. "I wouldn't trade him for anybody. There is no question that Russell Westbrook is one of the best players in this league."

Dirk Nowitzki paced Dallas with 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Dwight Powell came off the bench to score 16 points and grab nine rebounds. Justin Anderson added 14 points in the loss.

"We're disappointed at the result, obviously," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "But I thought the effort from our team, from start to finish in this series, was second to none.

"Couldn't be prouder of the way our guys competed all the way up to the last second in our final game."

With 7:50 left in the game, Nowitzki cut the Thunder's lead to 101-98. Dallas got the ball back but missed two open 3-pointers that would have tied the game.

Westbrook was fouled and hit a pair of free throws. After Dallas' J.J. Barea missed a jumper, Westbrook drained another shot to put the Thunder up 105-98.

Oklahoma City's Andre Roberson came up with a block, and it led to another Westbrook jumper with 5:05 left.

The Mavericks' Raymond Felton finally ended the run with an off-balance bucket. Dallas got the ball back, and Nowitzki drained a 3-pointer from the corner.

Westbrook took a long 3-point attempt that was off target. Roberson got the rebound and scored on a put-back.

On their next possession, the Thunder missed three shots but got the rebound each time. Durant finally knocked down a mid-range jumper and was fouled in the process.

Nowitzki was called for a technical foul. The ensuing free throws gave the Thunder an 113-103 lead with 2:49 left. That was enough to put the game and series away.

"I think for us getting a chance to move on is great," Donovan said. "I think this series made our team better. We dealt with a lot of physical confrontation. I say that in a very positive way."

Westbrook began the night like a man on a mission. Whether it was knocking down his jumper or driving the baseline for dunks, he had the Dallas defense on its heels. He ended the opening quarter with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting.

Westbrook's attack mode may have been inspired by another confrontation with Dallas forward Charlie Villanueva during his pregame dance.

"Now he gets to go home and get ready in the offseason to sit and watch 82 more games like he did this year," Westbrook said of Villanueva.

"He might not even be in the league," Durant added.

Oklahoma City pushed its lead to 13 points before Dallas began to whittle it down. Led by Nowitzki, the Mavs got the deficit down to a single basket with 2:32 left in the first half.

However, the Thunder outscored the Mavs 13-8 down the stretch and grabbed a 68-61 halftime advantage.

Oklahoma City was unable to pull away for much of the second half. Every time, Durant, Westbrook or Dion Waiters put the home team ahead by more than 10, the Mavs found a way to claw back to within striking distance. Despite having only 10 players in uniform, the Mavericks kept on battling back.

"Metaphorically, we emptied our chamber in five games," Carlisle said. "I don't know what we would have thrown at them in Game 6. They were just simply better. Their two superstars were just great this series."

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cuban fined $100,000 for 'inappropriate language'

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been fined $100,000 for confronting game officials with "inappropriate language" after Wednesday's 129-127 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, the National Basketball Association said.

Cuban's on-court actions occurred after the Mavericks blew a 17-point lead over the Clippers with four-and-a-half minutes remaining in a wildly fluctuating encounter at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

"It was like a playoff game the last three or four minutes, everybody was mouthing back and forth and getting techs, and it became a brawl out there," veteran Mavericks forward Shawn Marion told reporters after the game.

"But if you let that take away from what your main focus is - executing at both ends of the floor - then it's going to take you out of your game."

The Mavericks lost despite outscoring the Clippers 60-40 in the paint, and outrebounding them 47-38, as both teams shot more than 50 percent from the field.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com