DALLAS – Sometimes it doesn’t matter who defends Luka Doncic. For example – or 42 points, in fact – Paul George, the LA Clippers superstar, whose name always appears in conversations about NBA perimeter corks. Doncic made the All-Defensive team four times look silly on numerous occasions during his masterful performance in the Dallas Mavericks’ 105-89 victory on Wednesday.
Doncic, who finished with 42 points on 16-of-28 shooting and nine assists, did not do all the damage against George. Kawhi Leonard wasn’t lucky with him either. Neither is Nicolas Batum. Or anyone else who threw the 22-year-old All-Star. And it wasn’t for a lack of effort.
“Mostly defensively, we thought we did a good job even though Luka burned us,” Clippers coach Ty Lue said.
George got the worst of it. According to Second Synergy, half of Doncic’s points came when he was tied with George in midfield. Doncic had 21 points on 15 shots – with 70% effective target percentage – and eliminated five assists without a round, when he was guarded by George.
“We thought we were playing a great defense,” George said, “but they hit a few really, really hard shots and they made a few really, really big games.”
The song that produced the most breaths was probably a longing for Doncic. If Doncic had thrown that shot back, it would have been a viral climax in a matter of seconds, as he slammed on the brakes and crossed so abruptly that George tripped over the hardwood, putting both hands down to break the fall as Doncic releases the blow.
It wasn’t as bad as James Harden’s crossover and jumper back a few years ago, which caused former Clippers striker Wes Johnson to inadvertently take his place in midfield. But this was against Paul George, not a journeyman.
Doncic’s last bucket, a remaining 1:27 dagger float, came after another move that made George’s hand walk on the floor to prevent it from falling. It was a crossover from the back on the right wing, where George stayed after regaining his balance, getting a beautiful view of Doncic who finished on the lane.
“I’m not going to say anything about Paul George, who may have slipped on the floor or something, but Luka is a great player,” said Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, noting his respect for George and the Clippers. . “He has the ability to make these stop-on-a-dime pieces that are truly exceptional.”
There are not many answers for Doncic when he shoots effectively from 3 points, which he has done regularly recently. Doncic has shot 43% of the depth in the last 14 games – and 50.5% of the total – on average 30.5 points and 9.2 assists in this interval. Not coincidentally, the Mavs (21-18) won 11 of 14 matches, returning to the Western Conference playoffs after falling five games below .500.
It’s no secret Doncic wants to take pictures back to his left, especially from his left wing. The Clippers (26-16) know this better than anyone, given that it is the blow and the place of Doncic’s unforgettable buzzer-beater to score a 43-point triple-double in a bubble victory in the playoffs.
However, Doncic was still 6 of 11 in the 3-point range on Wednesday, including a four-point play when he stopped after taking a step back, bent over and drew Leonard’s contact as he let the shot go.
“Sometimes I let him get too far to the left and he felt comfortable,” Leonard said. “He warmed up and took pictures and it’s hard to turn off that water once a great player like that rolls.”
Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN contributed to this report.