MEMPHIS – If the NBA had a three-game season, it would be easy to pinpoint who the MVP is so far.
Luka Dončić had another stat-stuffing night Monday as the Mavericks rolled past the Memphis Grizzlies 125-110 at FedEx Forum.
For the second time in three games, Dončić had a triple-double, this time racking up 35 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds.
Add in the 49-point monster he produced on Friday against Brooklyn and the first week of the NBA season has belonged to Luka.
The win pushed the Mavericks to 3-0, the first time since 2004-05 that they have won their first three games of the season. They had 23 three-pointers on 47 attempts.
“You got to enjoy the wins,” coach Jason Kidd said. “As much as we die with the losses, we’re 3-0, we have to enjoy that, but we still know this is a long season.”
It wasn’t a complete walk in the park, even though the Mavericks were cruising along just fine, up 107-90 with 8:30 remaining and the Grizzlies were reeling. That is, they were until a 16-3 blitz chopped the Mavericks’ advantage to 110-106 with 5:15 left.
It was time for a Luka moment. First, Josh Green, who started for the injured Kyrie Irving, coaxed in a bank shot and after Desmond Bane missed a three-pointer, Luka reared up over reigning defensive player of the year Jaren Jackson Jr. and nailed a three-pointer for 115-106 lead with 4:15 to go.
The Grizzlies would not threaten again.
Luka did a little bit of everything, including heaving a couple of Dak Prescott-type of passes the length of the court to Derrick Jones Jr. that resulted in easy baskets.
“I told the ref I should be a quarterback, where you only play offense,” he said. “I always tell the guys, if you run, you’re going to get the ball.
“And I threw one that was almost impossible to catch. But when they run, I will always try to reward them. Derrick Jones played amazing tonight.”
Jones indeed was terrific, running up 22 points, more than he had in any game last season with Chicago.
He’s turned into the sort of solid starter through three games that the Mavericks need alongside Grant Williams.
But everything started with Luka.
“Luka magic. You know, just a triple-double,” coach Jason Kidd said. “I enjoy those turnovers that he is trying to throw the ball ahead. Sometimes, the quarterback gets picked off and gets an incomplete.
“But he has receivers running. When you get those easy baskets or you get in the scouting report that we’re going to run, it just makes the game so much easier where he doesn’t have to fight for 40 minutes.”
The Mavericks were without Irving, who was sidelined with discomfort in his left foot, an injury suffered during Friday’s game and it became a problem when Irving woke up Monday with discomfort.
So you had to figure it would be a steady diet of Luka.
But a lot of people contributed.
Williams had perhaps his best overall game of the young season with 15 points and when he was clocked by Jackson with 1:45 left in the third quarter, it was ruled a flagrant-1 foul and was a big part of what became a four-point possession when Tim Hardaway Jr. (21 points) hit a pair of free throws after Williams did so.
That put the Mavericks up 95-84 and they would take that margin into the fourth quarter at 97-86.
And when the Grizzlies made their fourth-quarter run, the Mavericks didn’t panic. They leaned on Luka, who now is averaging 39 points, 11.7 rebounds and 9.7 assists through three games.
The numbers are simply monstrous.
“Luka’s always going to do that,” said Hardaway. “Whether it’s a 25-point triple-double, a 30-point triple-double, 50. It doesn’t matter. He’s going to get those numbers, regardless. It’s our job to do our part and try our best to make his job and Kai’s job a little easier.”
Dončić was the best player on the court and it was only a matter of time until he showed it. That came late in the second quarter when he scored the Mavericks’ last 11 points, going four for four from the field, with three of the buckets coming from three-point land.
One of them was a 31-foot heave against TCU product Desmond Bane, who had a hand up then just turned and walked away with sort of a “come on, man” look on his face.
“He does it in practice,” Hardaway said. “I don’t know what else to say. I’ve been on the other end of that having to guard him (in practice) in those situations. It happens. He’s talented. That’s what he does.”
Before the game, Kidd was asked about defending the Grizzlies’ role players, considering that all-star Ja Morant was out because of the NBA’s suspension.
Said Kidd: “You always look at the role players. Stars are stars. They’re going to do what they do.”
He was certainly right about that last part when it came to Luka.
X: @ESefko
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