Doncic’s 50-Point Explosion Powers Mavericks Past Suns

Doncic’s 50-Point Explosion Powers Mavericks Past Suns

Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to a 128-114 win against the Phoenix Suns, showing his ability to break up double teams and excel in one-on-one situations. After scoring 50 points and 15 assists, Doncic not only dominated the game, but also surpassed 10,000 career points, becoming the seventh fastest player in NBA history to reach the milestone.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd praised Doncic, emphasizing his importance to the team and the need to continue feeding him the ball. Doncic’s performance, which included 8-16 3-pointers and all 12 free throws, was a key factor in Dallas’ victory.

“He’s one of the best in the world,” Kidd said. “Like I’ve always said, we can’t take him for granted. When he feels it, you try to get him the ball as much as possible. Backing up Doncic, Dereck Lively II had 20 points and 10 rebounds after missing four. games with sprained ankle and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 18 points that came despite the absence of Kyrie Irving, who missed his ninth straight game with a heel injury.

The Mavericks turned the game around with a 17-4 run in the fourth quarter and pulled away to secure the victory. Doncic emphasized his satisfaction not only with personal achievements, but also with the victory of the team. “It was a tough road game and out of 10,000 and 50 points we won the game, so I’m very happy,” Doncic said. Dallas effectively limited the impact of Phoenix stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, holding them to a combined 25 shots. Booker had 20 points and 10 assists, Durant had 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Chimezie Metu and Grayson Allen performed for the Suns, Allen scored 32 points, including 19 in the third quarter, Metu added 23 points and 19 rebounds in the absence of Jusuf Nurkic.

“I trust the players on this team,” Booker said. – I throw at them every time, but in the first half we just missed them. Despite those efforts, the Suns have struggled recently, losing nine of their last 11 games. Suns coach Frank Vogel acknowledged the difficulty of containing Doncic, noting that his performance disrupted their rhythm both offensively and defensively.

“In the fourth, we didn’t stop them, so we drove the ball to the basket,” Vogel said. – Luka’s double, they hurt us and when we didn’t double, he also hurt us and I think that took us out of rhythm in attack. The match also saw some exciting moments, including a feud with Dallas’ Grant Williams and Booker.

Ultimately, the Mavericks’ strong run in the final stretch of the game, culminating in Doncic’s 50 points, capped off a Christmas night to remember for the team. The Mavericks next host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, and the Suns face the Houston Rockets on the same day.