Mavs Donuts: Top-10 Doncic, Push for Home Court, NBA Roundup
Another day another dozen. Wednesday's Mavs Donuts provides a burst of content, including Luka Doncic reaching a franchise milestone, emphasis on home-court advantage and much more.
Get your fresh batch!
Donut 1: Jalen Brunson's Injury Status
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Soobum Im/USA Today Sports
The Mavericks (40-25) will take on the New York Knicks (27-38) on Wednesday seeking to extend their winning streak to six games.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd told reporters before the Utah game that he isn't concerned about Brunson's foot injury being a long-term issue, and there is hope he plays against the Knicks.
On the Mavericks' latest injury report, Brunson is currently considered "questionable" to play against New York. More updates regarding his status are expected to come closer to tip.
Donut 2: Doncic Reaches Top 10 in Mavericks Career Scoring
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Doncic surpassed Jay Vincent for 10th all-time on the Mavericks franchise scoring leaderboard.
Barring injury, Doncic is on track to surpass Josh Howard (6,614 points) and Sam Perkins (6,766 points) for eighth on the Mavericks' all-time scoring leaderboard prior to the end of the regular season.
Donut 3: Doncic Second-Best Mavs Star Ever?
In less than four seasons, Luka Doncic finds himself inside the top 10 on the Dallas Mavericks career scoring list.
His impact on the franchise goes far beyond.
And he’s only 23.
Doncic shares a trajectory with the NBA’s all-time greats. LeBron, Jordan, Durant. That’s Luka’s circle.
Not Ro Blackman or Michael Finley or Brad Davis. No offense.
Doncic’s 6,485 points in his first 248 games dwarf the production of any Maverick in the record books. Dirk Nowitzki tallied 4,483 points through the same number of games.
Donut 4: Doncic Stresses Need for Home-Court Advantage in NBA Playoffs
The Dallas Mavericks (40-25) and Utah Jazz (40-24) find themselves in the midst of a heated race for the fourth seed in the Western Conference. The stakes? Gaining home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
Doncic expressed the emphasis on obtaining the four-seed.
“I mean it’s different. I think four and fifth spot is a lot of difference," Doncic said. "When you’re four you have the home advantage and that’s a big thing. We never had it since I’ve been here. So, I think we’re trying to get the home advantage for sure.”
Donut 5: Best Young Point Guard?
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
In a survey conducted by ESPN, 15 league scouts and executives ranked six star guards who still are on rookie contracts: LaMelo Ball, Luka Doncic, Darius Garland, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Trae Young, and Ja Morant.
Doncic came out on top in the survey by receiving 86 total points. Morant (75), Young (55) and Ball (38) followed. The lowest vote Doncic received was second place (four votes).
Donut 6: Utah Jazz Seek Revenge
The Mavericks (40-25) and Utah Jazz (40-24) faced off Monday in what felt like a fierce playoff game amid the race for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. After losing the first two in the season series, Luka Doncic and the Mavs won 111-103 and are now within a half-game of the fourth spot.
"We go up 2-0 in a sense, and they came out and counter and take care of home court," Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell said. "And now it's how do we respond on the 27th?"
Donut 7: On this Day
In honor of the HBO show, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Dallasbasketball.com rewinds to the "Showtime" era. On March 9, 1983, Magic Johnson dished out 20 assists in a 119-114 victory over the San Diego Clippers.
Donut 8: Kristaps Porzingis Makes Strong Debut with Wizards
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Wizards were finally able to get a look at Kristaps Porzingis from their trade deadline deal with the Mavericks. Porzingis hadn't played in a game since Jan. 29 due to a right knee bone bruise.
Porzingis had a successful debut with the Wizards, finishing with 25 points, five rebounds and two blocks despite playing in a little over 21 minutes due to a minutes restriction. He was instrumental in Washington defeating the Indiana Pacers 133-123.
Donut 9: Irving Scores 50 Points
The eight-place Brooklyn Nets desperately need a change of pace. Kyrie Irving, not exactly the most dependable star, found a way to help the Nets in the win column. Tuesday night saw the polarizing point guard score 50 points in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. Irving shot an astounding 9-12 on 3-pointers.
Donut 10: No More Hack-A-Giannis
Remember when fans jeered Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo for his poor free throw shooting? A championship has a tendency to boost confidence.
Antetokounmpo scored 39 points on the Oklahoma City Thunder, on Tuesday evening. The two-time league MVP went 9-13 from the line to steer the Bucks to a 142-115 victory.
Donut 11: Stat of the Week
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Spencer Dinwiddie is not only outperforming his subpar Washington Wizards tenure, but he's also playing a pivotal role in the Mavericks' post-All-Star game surge.
This week's stat of the week shines a light on the Mavs backup guard and his sudden contributions.
Donut 12: What's Next for Mavs?
Dallas faces the New York Knicks on Wednesday at the AAC. The last outing didn't play in the Mavs' favor, as they lost 105-85. For the first time in three years, the Mavs and Knicks will play each other without Kristaps Porzingis narratives attached. The Mavericks have a five-game winning streak at stake.
