The Dallas Mavericks sure needed a star to get them past the Dirk Nowitzki era.
They got way more than that when they landed former Real Madrid standout Luka Doncic.
Not only has Doncic proven to be a generational talent, skill-wise, but he’s also proven to have that ‘it’ factor and that clutchness that often separates very good players from legends.
Despite not being in the league for long, the Slovenian superstar has already knocked down multiple huge shots in his career, and he did just that during Thursday night’s double-overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Down three with less than 12 seconds in the game, Doncic took the ball at the top of the key, created a tiny gap of separation, and pulled up over Dennis Schroder to sink a three to force overtime.
LUKA FORCES OT IN LA 🤯
(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/zI9oUv63MY
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 13, 2023
The Mavericks hung in there to get a much-needed 119-115 win, with Luka logging a 35-point, 14-rebound, 13-assist triple-double.
Notably, coach Darvin Ham might have paid the price for not doubling him on that final possession in regulation:
“I was a little bit surprised [that he wasn’t double-teamed in that possession],” Doncic said. “I don’t know why they didn’t. I thought they were going to foul, honestly, but I tried to get it up before they could foul.”
That’s the beauty of Luka’s game.
There’s not much you could actually do to stop him.
If you double him, then he’s going to find the open man.
If you drop, he can pull up.
If you take him in the perimeter, he can create separation with his shoulder and size advantage.
And the craziest part is that he just keeps getting better.
