Luka Doncic pulled off the unexpected once again. With thirty seconds on the clock, Doncic managed to shoot an off-balance, hook shot, off the glass to win the game. After the game, Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd talked about Luka’s one-handed three-pointer.
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During the post-game press conference, Jason Kidd was asked ” So is that how that play was supposed to go? Did you shout that out from the sideline?”
Responding to the question Kidd said ” Well, No. But I’m just glad that I didn’t call time out when I wanted to. We probably wouldn’t be sitting here. That’s a Luka special. He likes the ball late. He loves those situations and he finds a way. The thing about Luka is he practices a lot of these crazy shots. Sometimes they get caught on camera. Sometimes it’s just the human eye, that catches them. Tonight was one of those shots. He put us in a position to get there. You know, 40 points. He played well.”
The incident in question happened during the last thirty seconds of the game. With the shot clock running down, Luka receives the ball from Maxi Kleber, who also sets a screen for Doncic on the right. Doncic slides through the screen, but is still hounded by Dorian Finney Smith. In a moment of desperation, Luka shifts to his left and launches a hook shot with his right hand. The ball banks off the glass and goes in. As the crowd erupts, the Mavs realize, Luka has saved them, once again. It’s almost like magic.
Luka practices his magic tricks
What Luka did last night against the Nets, is something that happens almost every other night. The phenomenon called ‘Luka Magic’, is reminiscent of a magician’s act. But just like any magician, Luka also practices his tricks. Luka has often been caught on camera, trying to pull off various kinds of trick shots during workouts and practices.
So when Luka shoots one-hand hook shots from three, he has most likely practiced it. Players like Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant have all confessed on record, that they practice absurd shots all the time. Curry’s pre-game workout is so absurd, that people often arrive early just to watch Curry work out. Not only that but clutch shooters such as Ray Allen and Klay Thompson have gone on record to explain how much effort goes into shooting the ball consistently.
But Luka isn’t the only person in the league who has pulled off such a feat. In recent times, we can turn to Kawhi Leonard’s shot against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2019 Eastern Conference finals. We can also examine Mr. Clutch Shot himself, Damian Lillard, and his shot against Paul George and the OKC Thunder. The list goes on. But what we can all learn from our favorite clutch shooter is that, when preparation meets opportunity, magic is created.
