Dallas Mavs' Luka Doncic Makes Incredible NBA History in 50-Point Blowout Win vs. Utah Jazz
DALLAS — Entering Wednesday night's game, having lost five of their last seven outings, the Dallas Mavericks bounced back with a 147-97 victory over the Utah Jazz. Snapping a two-game losing streak, the Mavs improved to 12-8 to end a four-game home stretch with a victory. The Jazz dropped to 7-14 through 21 games.
With Grant Williams sidelined due to knee soreness, Dante Exum made his first start as a member of the Mavs against the NBA team that selected him using the fifth overall pick in the 2014 class. The Jazz played without various key players due to injuries, including reigning NBA All-Star Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, and Kelly Olynyk.
"His basketball IQ is extremely high. He knows how to play," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said about Exum. "He's not judged on scoring. He's judged on doing the right things on both sides of the floor, and that's what he does for us. When he came in the league as a lottery pick, unfortunately, health and injuries sometimes are setbacks. But for him, his basketball IQ has never been taken from him. He plays the game the right way and we're lucky to have him."
A hot start from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving put the Mavs up 13-4 as of the 9:36 mark of the opening period. Doncic converted on a pair of made 3s for the first two made shots of the game, while Irving continued the team's jump-shooting execution with a pair of makes of his own.
"Yeah, it was good," Kidd said. "I thought the stars set the tone in both halves. I thought everybody played the right way."
The Jazz withheld the Mavs' initial run enough to force a timeout with 5:37 left in the first quarter, trailing just 26-21. Doncic produced quite the early effort, converting four made 3s before even reaching the halfway mark of the opening period. Dallas put together another solid surge, with Irving leading the bench group to close the period, taking a 42-31 lead.
“It was good. I think for the most part we just wanted to make sure we hit first out there on the floor,' Mavs sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. said. "Just wanted to make sure we made a statement coming out the gates. Luka set the tone with that coming out with shot after shot after shot … and shot after shot after shot. Then Kai [Kyrie Irving] got into it. I think we just fed off their pace when we started coming in the game. So, it starts with them.”
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic versus the Utah Jazz.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Doncic and Irving briefly had outscored the Jazz with a combined 32 points early in the second quarter, setting the tone for the Mavs amidst a double-figure lead. Dallas' offense continued to fire on all cylinders, establishing a 74-51 edge at the break.
With 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists through two quarters, Doncic became the first player in league history to reach a 25-point triple-double before halftime. He managed to come up with a tenth rebound and assist just in time.
"Yeah, of course," Doncic said. "I was going for the last rebound and assist. I've got to admit it."
Doncic surpassed Larry Bird for ninth all-time in career triple-doubles with 60 in his career. It only took one game for the Slovenian superstar to break the tie that he established with the NBA Hall of Famer in this category.
"I did? That's pretty amazing. I don't know what to say, honestly," Doncic said. "But we all know who Larry Bird was, so it's pretty special."
The Mavs continued to pour it on the Jazz by growing their lead to 34 points with a made pull-up 3-pointer from Irving early in the third quarter. Utah stood no chance to mount an impactful rallying effort for the remainder of the game.
Dallas led 109-74 through three quarters, but it got chippy for a moment late in the period after Kris Dunn took exception to Doncic after a Mavs made basket. Both players were called for a double technical, even though Doncic walked away laughing after Dunn pointed his finger close to his face.
"I don't know. I didn't do nothing," Doncic said. "There was a little bit of pushing and that, but it wasn't a technical foul because I didn't do nothing. He puts a finger in my face, and I just laughed, so I don't know how I got a tech, but those things just happen in the game. It's just part of the game."
When Doncic reached a 40-point triple-double late in the third quarter, he recorded the seventh regular season performance with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. He surpassed LeBron James and tied Wilt Chamberlain for the fourth most in NBA history.
Given the significant advantage the Mavs held established before the fourth quarter began, there was no need for Doncic or Irving to retake the floor. The extra rest was surely welcomed for Dallas' superstar backcourt, given Doncic played 46 minutes on Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Irving made his return from a one-game absence caused by foot soreness.
Doncic totaled 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists while having an efficient all-around shooting performance. The Mavs received a strong outing from Irving, who racked up 26 points, three rebounds, four assists, and three steals. It was Dallas' first outing with both superstars in the lineup since Nov. 28, in the team's victory against the Houston Rockets.
"I think Luka's had a lot of fun this season on both sides of the ball," Kidd said. "He's competing at a high level. He's having fun. You can see the energy was extremely high. When you look at the game before [versus] Oklahoma City, he played 46 minutes, and he was still ready to go.
"It just shows his conditioning and where his mind is right now — it's to win," Kidd explained. "He's doing everything to put the team in that position to win on a nightly basis."
Dallas received double-figure scoring performances from four other players in addition to their two reigning NBA All-Star starters, including Hardaway (17 points), Derrick Jones Jr. (12 points), Dereck Lively II (10 points), and Seth Curry (10 points). It was a testament to the team's offensive display, shooting 55.4 percent from the floor and 44.9 percent from beyond the arc with 22 made 3-pointers.
The Mavs return to action on Friday when they take on the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center.
