ATLANTA – Luka Doncic just wanted to “get a win” after he matched the fourth-highest scoring performance in National Basketball Association (NBA) history on Jan 26, pouring in 73 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 148-143 road victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
A masterful individual performance saw the Slovenian star set a Mavs record with 41 first-half points, with the scorching run continuing in the second half as Dallas kept the determined Hawks at bay.
Doncic added 10 rebounds and seven assists. He connected on 25 of 33 shots from the floor – including eight three-pointers – and made 15 of his 16 free throws.
He ranked the performance “probably at the top” in his career, but with the Mavs coming in on a three-game losing streak, he was just focused on getting a victory.
“We’ve been struggling lately,” he said. “Mindset was get a win. I was just going, you know, whatever the defence give me. In the second half they doubled me all the time so I tried to make some plays.”
His sensational performance spoiled the return of Trae Young, who led the Hawks with 30 points after missing two games in concussion protocol.
Doncic’s franchise-record effort pushed him into elite NBA territory. Only Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant have scored more points in a game – Chamberlain with the league record 100 in 1962 and Bryant with 81 in 2006.
Chamberlain also owns a 78-point performance and two of 73 – a number also reached by David Thompson and, now, Doncic.
Mavs coach Jason Kidd said it was something “extra special” from a player who comes up special on a regular basis.
“What he does on the court is different than anybody else,” he said, adding that Doncic’s ability to keep feeding his teammates amid his own red-hot scoring made the victory possible.
“His ability to make shots, create shots, find open guys – he did that at a high level tonight.”
Doncic’s 25 baskets were a career high and he crushed his own franchise record of 60 points, set against the New York Knicks on Dec 27, 2022.
His effort came four days after Joel Embiid poured in 70 in a Philadelphia 76ers win over San Antonio – and it was not the only eye-popping outburst of the night.
Phoenix guard Devin Booker’s 62 points, however, came in a losing effort as the Indiana Pacers prevailed 133-131 to halt the Suns’ seven-game winning streak.
It was his second game this season of at least 50 points, after a 52-point performance against New Orleans earlier in January. He had a career-high 70 against Boston in 2017.
Pascal Siakam scored 31 points, leading six Pacers players in double figures as Indiana notched a second straight win.
Elsewhere, Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points to propel the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 112-100 victory over the Bucks in Milwaukee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 22 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and handed out nine assists – coming up just shy of a third straight triple-double.
Damian Lillard added another 22 points for the Bucks, who confirmed that Doc Rivers – who guided Boston to the 2008 NBA title – would take over as head coach after the abrupt sacking of Adrian Griffin. AFP
