The Dallas Mavericks gave it their all and won 96-93 against the LA Clippers to level the first-round series. Their effort was punctuated by the NBA’s leading scorer Luka Doncic who put up 32 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. While the guard is habitual of such offensive numbers, his defensive effort rang louder. The Slovenian maestro had a +8 in the boxscore, just second behind Maxi Kleber’s +9. He hustled hard and contested many shots that influenced outcomes throughout the game.
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As per ESPN’s Tim McMahon, the 25-year-old held his match-ups to 2 of 17 shooting from the floor restricting Game 1 hero James Harden to 1 of 5. Without Doncic guarding him, Harden made five of his nine shots. The Clippers repeatedly tried to attack Doncic for his perceived lack of defense, however, the strategy backfired as Luka Magic was ready for them.
Considering his unparalleled shooting game, this defensive performance sets an encouraging example for his team. After the game, Mavs HC Jason Kidd reflected upon his superstar player’s improved defensive commitments. He lauded his emergence as a two-way leader,
“I think his defense has been great this whole series. We know they’re going to put him in pick-and-roll. A couple years ago we saw this, and we had to tell him to participate. But I think he’s participating at a high level on both ends. He’s leading not just on the offensive end but also on the defensive end.”
Doncic seemed to have taken it upon himself to break the stereotype of him being a low-effort defender. On X, NBA fans recognized his incredible two-way exploits and sang his praises after his impressive outing.
Luka Doncic elevates his bloated profile further
Pot-game, a commenter questioned the notion of not awarding the perennial All-Star the MVP award based on his defense. Sarcastically, the fan wrote, ”He can’t be MVP cause he doesn’t play “defense” aight bet” while attaching a Jimmy Butler meme to it.
Meanwhile, an NBA fan even went further. The user claimed that 2024 Defensive Player of the Year finalist Victor Wembanyama will have fierce competition next season. The user wrote, “Luka really stealing DPOY from Wemby next year, that’s crazy”,
Apart from that, a Mavs fan was barely surprised by Doncic’s stifling defense, “When Luka is locked in, he can lock down. The real Mavs fans knew it.”
These comments sum up the essence of Doncic’s superb effort. Thanks to his hard work, the Mavs were able to tie the series after the Game 1 humiliation. They will head back home with immense pride and having finally set the tone. The Game 2 performance was indeed what analysts like Paul Pierce expected out of them from the jump.
