Luka Doncic wasn’t going to let the Blazers win a second straight game at the Moda Center. He was incandescent in a 40-point win last night.
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The Slovenian sensation had 37 points on the night while shooting 13-of-18 from the field. 8 of his 13 made field goals were off 3-pointers – Luka made all 8 of his first 8 attempts from deep.
Doncic has been playing at an MVP level all season long, but something about this display felt different. It genuinely felt as if Luka was an unguardable, god-like figure at times – much like one Michael Jordan.
Terry Stotts showered rich praise on the 22-year-old after his dominant display against the Blazers:
“He can do whatever. He can score, he can pass, he makes his teammates better. And where he goes from here, he could be an all-time great. There’s no question. If he has the longevity of all the other great players, he will go down as one of the all-time greats.”
Luka Doncic records 24 points in the first half
The Mavs were actually not in the drivers’ seat from the start, as the 132-92 scoreline might indicate. They trailed the Blazers 30-27 at the end of the first quarter, but a 38-point second quarter gave them the lead.
Josh Richardson also had an efficient 8-of-11 night, but even he was in awe of Doncic’s shooting display. This is Luka’s best 3-point shooting game through 2-and-a-half seasons in the NBA. At times, it felt like he was toying with the defense whenever he wanted. Just take a look at this circus shot.
Doncic even had jokes in the post-game presser: “All I can say is I should have made the last one.” It did indeed feel at times that he couldn’t miss even if he wanted to.
Luka may not have hung 35 points in one half of a Finals game against the Blazers. But it was a dominant display in much the same sense all night long. All it lacked was that iconic shrug of disdain from a GOAT.
