Luka Doncic led the way for the Dallas Mavericks with a triple-double performance in a 104-92 win. The Slovenian scored 31 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and 11 assists to help the team take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Semis. After struggling in Game 4, Luka responded well in this game at the Paycom Centre as he shot 54.5% from the field and finished second in the plus/minus category [+22.]
Derrick Jones Jr. and PJ Washington had great impact once again as they combined to score 29 points on the night. Rookie centre Dereck Lively II made his presence felt, scoring 11 points and 10 rebounds. He was struggling from the free throw line throughout the series but showed great composure to drain 5 out of the 6 free throws he took in Game 5.
OKC’s loss came because of their poor rebounding performance. They had 33 boards as compared to the Mavericks’ 46. The lack of size seemed to hurt the Thunder team on this occasion as Dereck Lively II, PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford clogged the point to make things difficult for the young side. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had another 30-point performance, where he shot the ball incredibly well. However, Luka Doncic’s Mavs were too good and stole another win on the road to take the lead in the series.
Luka Doncic is not having a great playoff run by his standards
Luka Doncic is easily one of the best playoff performers in the NBA. Currently playing in his fourth postseason, the Slovenian has averaged 31 PPG, 9.4 RPG and 8.2 APG in the playoffs. However, his numbers have come down a little this time around. He is averaging 27.1 PPG on a career-low 41.3 % shooting from the field. He has also looked miles off his best from the three-point line, shooting a disastrous 28% from beyond the arc.
Despite the concerning shooting stats, Luka’s impact on the Mavs is for everyone to see. He has elevated them to a different level and is also putting the effort on the defensive end in this postseason run with the Mavericks. With PJ Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. stepping up, the scoring pressure has been taken off Doncic as these players are putting in good numbers for the team.
Unlike the other postseason runs, Luka Doncic now has the support of Kyrie Irving, who himself is a certified bucket. The eight-time All-Star has the experience of winning a championship and is certainly bringing that mentality to this Mavs team.
Luka Doncic can easily erupt with a big scoring performance when he wants, but he has proven that his priority this postseason is winning. With the Mavs being just a win away from another Conference Finals appearance, the Slovenian will be hoping to work on his efficiency. If that starts clicking, the Mavs will be a tough team to beat for any of the remaining teams in the playoffs.
