The Dallas Mavericks lost their second game in a row tonight. They fell to the Denver Nuggets, who edged them out by four points. Despite the loss, Luka Doncic did what he does best, as he finished with another triple-double.
It was the 16th 30-point triple-double of his career for the 21-year-old, who now has the most 30-point triple-doubles in NBA history by a player before his 22nd birthday. He had 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists, as he tried his best to lead the Mavs. Doncic has been struggling with efficiency all season, but tonight he shot a respectable 37% from three.
Luka Doncic tonight:
35 PTS
11 REB
16 AST
4 STLIt’s his 16th 30-point triple-double before turning 22 — as many as every other player in NBA history combined. pic.twitter.com/Akvfvo9HBG
— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 26, 2021
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With less than four minutes left on the clock, Doncic created some separation before pulling up and scoring an open midrange shot. That gave the Mavs a two-point lead and a chance at a win. But the Nuggets then went on a 12-4 run and took the game out of the hands for the Mavs.
What more does Luka Doncic need to do for a win?
While there is no doubt about Luka’s defensive shortcomings, on offense, he is doing everything he can to help the team win. Despite that, they keep falling short and now sit with a below .500 record. There were a few losses due to Luka being inefficient, but even if he steps up, the rest of the team fails to rally behind him.
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The Mavericks currently are 8-9 currently, which is the result of their inconsistent performances. Kristaps Porzingis recently returned to the team following his injury, but he hasn’t been able to get back into his groove. The Mavs need to be patient with him, but with a lot of injuries and the others struggling, he is being overburdened.
Tim Hardaway Jr has also been very inconsistent. He has had multiple 30 point games this season where he has been a flamethrower. But he also recorded an embarrassing 0-12 stat line against the Raptors. He is the third-best player on the team, so there needs to be more consistent performances from him.
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There is only so much Doncic can do. So it’s high time the Mavericks follow his lead and improve their performances as well.