Luka Doncic dropped 32 points in the Dallas Mavericks’ Game 2 win over the LA Clippers. Both teams looked determined to win the game and played some physical basketball on the night. However, in the end, the Mavs prevailed courtesy of some big plays from Luka Doncic down the stretch. The Slovenian continued his brilliant playoff scoring record with another game-winning performance at the Crypto.com Arena.
The LA Clippers played some great defense on Luka, knowing his threat. But the point guard did not seem to be affected by the physical defense as he either went iso on the plays or threw dimes to his teammates to keep the score moving. Dallas had a great defensive performance, they were able to contain the Clippers offense really well, allowing them to only 36.8% shooting from the field. Their two key players Daniel Gafford and Tim Hardaway Jr. suffered injuries during the game, but that did not stop them from stealing the win on the road.
Luka Doncic has been a killer in the Playoffs
Since coming into the NBA, Luka Doncic has made it to four NBA Playoffs. His record in the postseason has been special and it ranks him among the best players in the history of the game. In 30 playoff games, the Slovenian has averaged 32.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG and 7.8 APG. These are all more than LeBron James had after 30 playoff games and that shows how splendid Doncic has been in the postseason.
Michael Jordan is considered to be one of the greatest playoff performers of all time. He averaged 33.4 PPG in 179 playoff games and he did it by helping the Chicago Bulls win six championships in the 1990’s. Luka Doncic has not even scratched the surface yet and he is already just 0.9 PPG behind MJ in terms of PPG in the playoffs. He needs to add a championship to make these numbers even more meaningful and with the kind of form the Mavericks are in, this could be their year.
Can Luka Doncic lead the Mavs all the way this season?
Luka Doncic’s spell with the Mavericks has been filled with big moments. He helped them get to their first Conference Finals appearance in 11 years when he led them to that stage in 2022. It is common knowledge that he elevates his performances in the postseason, but the Mavs have failed to pair him aside a star that can carry the load of the team. He now has Kyrie Irving, who is also a terrific performer in the postseason.
The former NBA champion has been in the toughest of situations and his experience will certainly help Luka and Mavs get over the line this postseason. They have some talented bigs and their presence has helped the team get some easy buckets around the rim. With Luka playing some of the best basketball and Kyrie supporting him well, the Mavs have proven that they can beat any team in the league. However, they will have to first get the better of the Clippers, who have one of the most well-constructed rosters in the league.
