Luka Dončić has a lot in common with the greatest players ever to step on an NBA court.
And you can add another thing to the list: his bounce-back capability, which is something all the great ones possess.
When Steph Curry had a 21-point night and 7-of-17 shooting earlier this season, he rebounded with a 33-point, nine-assist gem in a win over Miami that included 7-of-14 three-point shooting.
Giannis Antetokounmpo started this season with a ho-hum 21-point night, but responded in Game No. 2 with 44 points.
This is what the great players do. They might have a game or two when the numbers aren’t up to their lofty standards.
Those funks never seem to last long.
So for Luka, the comeback from his two game trip when he needed 50 shots to score 46 points in losses to Orlando and Washington required a strong retort.
He posted 42 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists and aggressively attacked the basket. He went to the free-throw line 18 times.
And he also became a facilitator at crunch time when the Portland Trail Blazers were determined not to let him beat them.
“He’s human, but I think losing two in a row, not playing well – the guys who’ve seen him the most (know) he’s always bounced back,” coach Jason Kidd said. “And that’s what he did. He could have easily taken the game off to get some rest, but he fought to put us in position to win.”
Which the Mavericks did, 117-112 by outscoring the Blazers 25-14 in the final 6:40.
And Kidd could not overemphasize the free-throw line.
“When he was really going offensively, he was getting to the free-throw line,” Kidd said. “He was aggressive. And he gets our guys so many wide-open looks – we didn’t shoot the ball extremely well, but if he continues todo that in this marathon we’ll be able to knockdown some shots for him.”
His teammates expect to do that, too.
“He’s like anybody else – Luka’s Luka,” said Josh Green. “He’s a human being. He’s not going to play the same every game. But we know he’s going to bounce back. He’s been a great leader. We know he has our back just as much as we have his.”
Wood’s importance is clear: Maybe it’s coincidence, maybe not. But the Mavericks first losing streak came at Orlando and Washington last week in games that Christian Wood missed with a knee problem.
He returned Saturday against Portland with 19 points, six rebounds and two steals in 25 minutes before fouling out.
And the Mavericks won.
If the Mavericks are going to reach any heights close to what they achieved last season, Wood is going to have to be a significant reason why.
The way Wood played against the Blazers was critical. And beyond the numbers, he gives the Mavericks a way to play a medium-sized lineup that can be successful against bigger opponents or against small-ball lineups like the one the Blazers employed.
“C-Wood did a really good job before fouling out,” Kidd said. “His ability to score, ability to rebound, things we’ve missed in the past, is something I think he brings to the table.”
And it won’t be unusual, Kidd said, for Wood to be playing with a smaller lineup.
“We’re not just looking at the shots,” he said. “We need him defensively. We had him in there and then we went small-ball just to look at something different with Doe (Dorian Finney-Smith) playing the five that we saw last year that gave us a little spark. And it was big for us (against Portland).”
Dog days: To break up a long season, coaches look for any form of fun they can inject into the daily routine.
For the Mavericks, it came Sunday in the form of a bring-your-family-to-practice invitation from the coaches.
And by family, we mean kids, pets and any other parts of the family that wanted to attend.
“I thought the guys did a great job bringing their families or their animals in yesterday,” Kidd said. “So everyone had a good time. And that’s the way it should be, especially on a Sunday. Guys got what (work) they needed and got to watch some football and to bring their kids to work or their pets was fun.”
Kidd said the decision was made after Saturday’s game to give everybody a chance to join in the fun.
Asked about the peril of dogs doing what dogs sometimes have to do on the practice court, Kidd said: “I can’t say that there wasn’t (an accident). But it was a quick clean up, no one hurt.”
Of course, Luka’s dog was one of the main attractions.
“Luka’s dog, it’s a wolf,” Green said. “That’s a wolf, not a dog.”
Twitter: @ESefko
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