There wasn't some grand sacrifice either such as we've seen in the Celtics-Bucks series in which Milwaukee has sacrificed endless 3-point attempts to protect the basket. The Mavericks limited the total number of shots Phoenix could take with all of those turnovers, and then among the shots they did give up, Dallas took away the most valuable ones a team can make. They're the best mid-range shooting team in the NBA, and those shots were still available to them in this game (though, just like everything else, they've been difficult to come by against a relentless Dallas defense).īut at a certain point, math comes into play. Now, in fairness, the Suns do not rely exclusively on 3's as many other teams do. That's tied for the third-most of the Monty Williams era. That's tied for the second-fewest of the Monty Williams era. The Suns attempted just 18 3-pointers in Game 6. The Mavericks, to an absurd degree, managed to disrupt both. The key to beating them usually lies in disrupting one of those two traits. The Suns were an elite shooting team by virtually any measure, and Chris Paul teams are extremely protective of the ball. The Suns do a number of things very well, but if you were going to settle on two things they do better than anything else, you might pick shooting and ball-control. We're looking at decades of this to come. If Leonard and Bridges can't stop him, nobody can. He's just so unbelievably good that when he no longer sees any need to pace himself, he's completely and utterly unstoppable to even the NBA's best defenses. I wish I could tell you there was some strategic tick here, some subtle change in his playing style that makes Doncic especially lethal in season-saving games… but so far as I can tell, there isn't. Tonight's came against Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Mikal Bridges. The first two elimination games Doncic played came against two-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard. LeBron James and Alex Groza are tied for second place… at "just" 33.5 points per game. Throw in his 33 points and Doncic is averaging a staggering 39 points in elimination games. Doncic scored 38 points when the Mavericks lost Game 6 to the Clippers in 2020, and he one-upped himself with 46 in a Game 7 loss a year ago. He lost the first two, but not for lack of trying. The Mavericks have reached the playoffs three times during Doncic's career, and Thursday's was Doncic's third elimination game. But when his back is truly against the wall? That's when Doncic truly shines. He has now played in 22 postseason games… and scored 30 or more points in 13 of them. The fourth-year superstar is already building one of the greatest playoff resumes in NBA history. Saving his best for lastĬue up those Undertaker gifs ladies and gentlemen because Luka Doncic simply will not die. Here are the major takeaways from Game 6. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are looking for their first conference finals berth since 2011. The home team has won every game in the series, and Phoenix will try to continue that trend and reach the Western Conference finals for the second year in a row. Devin Booker scored 19, but missed all four of his 3-pointers. Chris Paul had only 13 points on seven field-goal attempts. The Suns, who were coming off a 30-point victory in Game 5, once again struggled on the road. Reggie Bullock and Jalen Brunson helped the Mavs cause, combining for 37 points. Dallas never looked back after taking a 15-point lead into halftime and hit 16 3-pointers in the lopsided win.ĭoncic led all scorers with 33 points to go with 11 rebounds and eight assists. Luka Doncic and the Mavericks cruised to a 113-86 win on their home court in Game 6 on Thursday night to tie the second-round series, 3-3. Despite Luka’s absence, the Mavericks went on to a 99-95 victory over the Suns.ĭoncic is averaging 33 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.4 assists with the Mavericks this season.The Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns are going to Game 7. Coach Jason Kidd called a timeout, and Doncic slowly made his way to the locker room. He was trying to make a move close to the basket against Phoenix’s Cam Johnson but stepped on Mikal Bridges’ foot before passing the ball and limping away. The 23-year-old superstar suffered the injury last Thursday against the Phoenix Suns. Maxi Kleber (right hamstring tear) and Christian Wood (left thumb fracture) will remain out.Īctive ✅ // #MFFL /Gcqwn5tNtJĭoncic was sidelined for Saturday’s 108-100 loss in Utah due to a left ankle sprain. Luka Dončić (left ankle sprain) will be available for tonight's game against the Pistons. Luka Doncic suffered a left ankle sprain during the 1st quarter of Mavericks-Suns last Thursday.ĭallas Mavericks forward-guard Luka Doncic will play tonight against the Detroit Pistons ( 8:30 ET, NBA League Pass), the team announced earlier.
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