Luka Doncic put on an absolute show against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Mavs’ 128-110 win over them. Doncic opened the first half with a 25-point performance, scoring at will over the Lakers’ haphazard defense.
Doncic has shown his ability to take over quarters of games like this through the last couple of seasons. But a lot of these runs usually include a play where Luka will pull off a sensational dribble move or pass, just for the resulting shot to not go in.
The same happened again at the end of the second quarter against LA when Doncic crossed over Kent Bazemore and then missed the shot.
OMG LUKA NEVER FINISHES THESE PLAYS
LUKA DONCIC MAKES KENT BAZEMORE TOUCH EARTH pic.twitter.com/dwC2uHwN0C
— Slightly Biased (@BiasedSlightly) March 30, 2022
If the shot went in, that would have been one of the nastiest highlights to come from Luka all season. Bazemore had to touch the floor to keep his balance and Doncic got a beautiful open look that was the last shot of the quarter. Sadly, it hit the rim and clanked off, another Doncic highlight gone to waste.
Luka has proven he can shoot with defenders in his face, and his buzzer-beater resume at such a young age tells you all about that. However, Doncic struggles with making the wide-open shots as he discussed after the game.
"Those are the toughest shots for me." – Luka Doncic on shooting wide open shots when he drops the defender to the floor
— The Kobe Beef (@TheKobeBeef) March 30, 2022
Even though the Mavericks didn’t get an extra three points from this open shot, they still set a new record in LA. These were the most points the Lakers had conceded in the first half of a game since the team moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. But Luka could have made it hurt more if he made that shot.
The Slovenian guard ended the game with a 34-point triple-double with 12 rebounds and 12 assists. What’s crazier is that he didn’t even play the fourth quarter of the game. Highlights may be good, but dominating a team all-around is better.
