Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is Mr. Reliable when facing elimination games with a higher PPG than legends such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Wilt Chamberlain.
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Luka Magic continues to create history on a nightly basis, already framing his name alongside the legends of the league with his playoff performances. The most recent example is a potential elimination game against the first seed Phoenix Suns.
Doncic had a 33-point double-double that included 11-rebounds with the Mavs cruising past the Suns to force a Game Seven at Phoenix. The Mavericks held Chris Paul and co to a season-low total of 86-points, playoffs included. The Suns shot a postseason low below 40% and had 22-turnovers.
Thursday night’s contest against the Suns also marked Luka’s first win in an elimination game. The former ROTY had suffered an L in an elimination scenario at the hands of the Clippers in his previous two postseason outings. Currently, the Mavs guard is 1-2 in elimination games.
Game Six against the Suns had Luka zoom past the likes of MJ, LeBron, and Wilt the Stilt when it came to PPG in an elimination game.
Luka Doncic holds the highest PPG during elimination games.
Having suffered back-to-back first-round eliminations in the last two years, Luka has finally managed to get past the hump this year. Despite missing the first 3-games due to injury, the former EuroLeague MVP would make it up in the following games, eliminating the Jazz on the road.
Progressing to the second round for the 1st time in his career, the Mavs would face the top-seeded Suns. Many felt Steve Nash and his men had hit the ceiling with their semi-final appearance, with many even predicting the Mavs to get swept.
Nonetheless, the Dallas team has surprised everyone with their performances against the Suns, forcing a Game Seven. The face of the Mavs franchise, Luka continues to re-write history books with his performances.
Luka Doncic has averaged 39.0 points when facing elimination in his career, the highest scoring average in those situations in NBA history (min. 3 games). pic.twitter.com/TeS32DTT9w
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 13, 2022
The 23-year still has more than a decade left of his prime but is already on his way to becoming one of the all-time greats. Surprisingly, the Mavs have been playing this great even without one of its key members in Tim Hardaway Jr.
Game Seven takes place on Saturday night at Phoenix.