On Friday, Dallas guard Luka Doncic achieved a historic feat by scoring 73 points, setting a new franchise record and marking the highest individual score in the NBA this season. His remarkable performance played a crucial role in the visiting Mavericks breaking their three-game losing streak, securing a thrilling 148-143 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Notably, Doncic’s point total now ties for the fourth-highest in NBA history, with Wilt Chamberlain achieving the same feat twice and David Thompson also reaching the 73-point mark.
Doncic, 23, is on a path to becoming one of the league’s best players. The Slovenian rookie has averaged 24.8 points per game in his first 24 games, and he has been a huge reason why the Mavericks have improved by nine wins this year.
However, the Mavericks struggled to get by without star center DeAndre Jordan for much of the last two weeks. And even though the team still sits just outside the playoff picture at 24-20, there were a lot of worries about what would happen if Dallas started to lose more and more often.
That’s why Doncic’s performance against the team that drafted him was so impressive. It was the second straight game that a player scored 70 or more points against the Atlanta Hawks after Joel Embiid had a career-high 78 for the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday and Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 62 for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.
The difference between Doncic and those other players was evident from the start. He made 25 of 33 field goal attempts, including eight of his 13 3-pointers, and he was 15 of 16 at the free-throw line. He also grabbed ten rebounds and had seven assists.
Doncic’s performance was awe-inspiring, considering how difficult it can be to defend him at this level. The Hawks tried several things to slow him down — single coverage, switches, and traps — but none worked. He just kept getting open and knocking down three-pointers. On some nights, he looks unstoppable.
The Mavericks didn’t need Doncic to score 73 points to beat the Hawks, but it was great to see him deliver when the team needed him. It’s a reminder that he is a true superstar in the making, and Dallas fans are very fortunate to be able to watch him play every night. He doesn’t disappoint.
