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On his birthday, Luka Dončić celebrated by hanging together with his teammates and doing the one factor that NBA gamers by no means get to do sufficient of.
They rested.
And deservedly so.
The Mavericks, with Dončić at occasions dragging them alongside for the trip, have gone 7-2 over the past 9 video games, together with a signature win in opposition to Brooklyn on Saturday evening.
Not a signature win as a result of it came visiting the most effective groups within the NBA on the highway. If the Nets had been wholesome with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, then it will have been that form of benchmark victory.
As a substitute, it was a signature second for Dončić, due to the best way he received mad respect from James Harden, who was allotting an amazing pre-birthday current.
Simply hearken to what the Nets’ celebrity needed to say about Luka when requested if there have been elements of his sport that he sees within the Mavericks’ now-22-year-old phenom.
“Luka Dončić performs at his personal tempo,” Harden mentioned. “There are some similarities. He by no means lets anybody velocity him up and he will get what he desires. And that’s uncommon for a man at a younger age, to have the ability to dictate the sport and management the sport like he does. So, clearly, everyone knows he has a really, very shiny future.
“The Mavs received a particular one.”
Like they are saying, it takes one to know one.
Harden is particular. So is Dončić. And whereas the Mavericks received the higher of Harden and the shorthanded Nets, what made the evening so particular – in addition to being the final one in all Luka’s 21st journey across the solar – was that he managed the sport regardless of having what might solely be termed a garden-variety sport by his customary.
No triple-double. No off-the-charts scoring. No highlight-reel buzzer beater that followers can’t get sufficient of. Simply an environment friendly 27-point evening throughout which he received gamers like Dorian Finney-Smith, Jalen Brunson (extra on him in a second) and Kristaps Porzingis closely concerned within the offense.
It’s what he’s carried out all through this nine-game run, throughout which Dončić has averaged 31.6 factors, shot 51.6 p.c from the sector and 46.1 p.c from 3-point vary. We’ll dispense with any reference to free-throw taking pictures, apart from to say it stays a piece in progress after he went 2-of-6 from the road on Saturday.
So on Saturday, when the Mavericks landed in Orlando, the Mavericks gave Luka and his teammates some relaxation with solely Monday’s sport in opposition to the Magic and Wednesday’s in opposition to Oklahoma Metropolis at American Airways standing between the Mavericks and the All-Star break.
And, whereas Luka received an amazing present from Harden, more often than not throughout this scorching streak, it’s been the purpose guard allotting the goodies – to at least one teammate specifically.
Because the Mavericks have developed round Dončić, one of many largest beneficiaries has been Brunson, who continues to see an increasing number of time on the ground with the man he has at occasions backed up.
Over the previous 9 video games, Brunson has averaged 13.4 factors, 4.4 rebounds and three.2 assists whereas taking pictures 41.7 p.c from past the arc. He’s performed 26 minutes per sport in that stretch and has scored in double figures in every of the final seven video games.
“They’ve performed quite a bit collectively the final three years,” coach Rick Carlisle mentioned. “JB has an excellent really feel for taking part in with Luka and vice-versa. There’s a excessive stage of belief between each of them. They’ve been good collectively. We like them enjoying a big variety of minutes collectively.”
Which, by the best way, continues to make that 2018 Mavericks’ draft look higher and higher.
Twitter: @ESefko
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