The “MVP, MVP” chants came through loud and strong in the final seconds of the Mavericks’ home opener.
Justifiably so.
Luka Dončić tossed in a 25-foot bank shot with 26 seconds left that broke a tie with the Brooklyn Nets and delivered the Mavericks a 125-120 victory on Friday night.
His final three-pointer, No. 9 on the night for Luka, gave him 49 points to go with 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Mavericks improved to 2-0 and spoiled the homecoming of Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie, both of whom did their best to break their former team’s collective heart.
It was the second game in a row that the Mavericks had to overcome a late deficit.
“That was a Luka Special,” coach Jason Kidd said. “I don’t know what else to say. I’m just glad I didn’t call timeout. I wanted to (because) I thought he was stuck. But somehow, some way, I didn’t. And he did the rest.”
The game was tied at 120 and Luka found himself pinned near the sideline in front of the Mavericks’ bench. He was closely guarded by Finney-Smith.
“I saw there was 2 or 3 seconds left (on the shot clock) and I had to put it up,” Dončić said. “I wanted to hit the rim so we’d have a chance for the rebound, but I don’t know. I made it.”
Asked if he called “bank,” Luka said: “Yes.” He was informed that Finney-Smith didn’t hear any such call, Luka didn’t blink: “I said it in Slovenian so he wouldn’t understand.”
Dončić called the shot the toughest one he’s made in a game. But he does practice unrealistic shots a lot on practice days. He called this one a sort of hook shot.
“I think it was a little bit of a hook,” he said. “I don’t know.”
Call it what you will, it was a game-winner.
“That shot was crazy,” said Kyrie Irving. “I was going in to crash the offensive glass and I was like: man, this has a chance. I kept following it. And what a night for Luka. What a night for our team.”
So how does Luka come up with these shots on a periodic basis?
“A lot of practice, a lot of freelancing playing HORSE and just being a kid and trying every shot possible,” Irving said. “He takes some crazy shots in practice and makes them. So it’s definitely part of his skill.
“It’s a make-or-miss league. Sometimes you’re going to make them and sometimes you’re going to miss them. But tonight I’m grateful that it went our way.”
And it was a game the Mavericks seemed unlikely to win when they were down 118-113 with 2:15 to play.
But Irving, who supported Dončić with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists, nailed a three-pointer. The Mavericks’ defense stiffened and forced a shot-clock violation. Then Luka dropped in a three-pointer to put the Mavericks up by a point.
Josh Green, who had a solid night all around, hit only the second of two free throws to put the Mavericks up 120-118 but Cam Thomas, who led Brooklyn with 30 points, hit a jumper to tie it with 50 seconds left.
That set up the Luka Special. And Green hit two free throws with 12 seconds left to ice it.
Three-pointers were raining as the Mavericks hit 41.7 percent from beyond the arc (15-of-36). The Nets, who were down two starters with injuries, heaved 43 triples and made 21.
Kidd said pregame that a home opener comes with its own built-in juice. You don’t need any outside help.
And they certainly didn’t get any from their former teammates.
Dinwiddie was making shots from everywhere and Finney-Smith found success from the corner three-point spot that he practically owned during his years with the Mavericks.
The Nets had lost their season opener at home against Cleveland, so they were desperate not to start 0-2.
The Mavericks were in a tight game virtually the entire way. And it was a better defensive night from the start than they had in San Antonio when the Spurs ripped off 43 first-quarter points.
This time, the Mavericks limited the Nets to 25 and were up a point going into the second quarter and not much changed the rest of the way.
The Nets were riding Dinwiddie and Cam Thomas as they pulled in front 75-68 at the midpoint of the third quarter. But the Mavericks had a lively crowd backing them up, even with the Rangers playing Game 1 in the World Series just 15 miles to the West in Arlington.
There were not a lot of empty seats at AAC.
And they were treated to a heart-pounding home-opening game.
Dončić made sure of that.
X: @ESefko
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