You can look this up. It’s a rule, somewhere, I’m sure.
Whenever a Maverick scores 50 or more points, the next day’s takeaways have to be all about that player. No exceptions.
So with that explainer, here’s our morning-after, second-chance points about Luka Dončić and his outrageous 51-point night Thursday that spearheaded the 112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
THE NUMBERS: The 51 points were tied for the second-most in a game in Mavericks’ history. And tied for the most in a regulation game. Dirk Nowitzki also had a 51-point game in 2006. He owns the overall record with that memorable 53-point night on Dec. 2, 2004, against Houston. In that overtime game, Tracy McGrady tried his best to outduel Dirk with 48 points, but Nowitzki and the Mavericks prevailed. His 28 first-quarter points were one shy of the 29 Nowitzki had against Utah in 2009. The seven 3-pointers Dončić made in the first quarter were a franchise record and second most this season in a quarter (Kelly Oubre had eight in a quarter). He also increased his overall scoring average more than half a point to 26.8 per game. And since the calendar flipped to 2022, he’s averaging 28 points, along with 9.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game.
THAT SMILE: Part of Luka’s appeal is that smile that starts out as the wry, smirk-ish grin after the first 3-pointer. Then the smile becomes a brief laugh after a floater in the paint. And it’s a flat-out beaming mug after the next step-back trifecta. The point is that Luka’s emotions on the court are out there for everybody to enjoy. The frustrations with referees. The unbridled joy when the basket gets bigger than Lake Ray Hubbard. Here’s hoping that he never loses that emotional part of his personality on the court. Remember, this is supposed to be fun for the fans. And Luka makes it that way.
DON’T GET COCKY: Luka was unstoppable as far as the Clippers were concerned in the first quarter. He hit 7-of-10 3-pointers, all three of his shots inside the arc and missed as many free throws as he did 3-pointers, going 1-of-4 from the line. All of that was made possible by the Clippers switching on the high pick-and-roll and leaving 7-foot center Ivica Zubac on an island to guard Luka. That had no chance of working. As Dončić said after the game, when he saw that “I had to go to work.” The Clippers waited until the second half before they started aggressively doubling Luka and trying to get the ball out of his hands. The guess here is that on the first possession in Saturday’s rematch against the Clippers, they will send two defenders quickly at Dončić. After 51 points on Thursday, he might go after a truckload of assists on Saturday.
LIGHTING IT UP: The 3-point shot has been a fickle companion for Luka this season. But lately, they have been best buddies. In the last 12 games, Dončić is 41-of-102 from 3-point land (40.2 percent). That has lifted his season mark up to 32.4 percent. Still not great. But headed in the right direction.
DON’T FORGET THE D.: As great as he was on offense, it was a 20-second highlight reel on the defensive end that may have actually saved the game. After a tough whistle for a flagrant-1 on Maxi Kleber allowed the Clippers to get within 97-94, Dončić got a steal from Norman Powell with 6:48 to go. That triggered a fast break and a lob from Jalen Brunson to Dorian Finney-Smith for a layup. Then, Luka picked off a rebound after a missed 3-pointer and found Reggie Bullock for a 3-pointer and a 102-94 lead. End of story.
Twitter: @ESefko
Share and comment