The Dallas Mavericks got a much-needed win on Monday night, and they did it with another brilliant performance of his star.
Luka Doncic, dealing with an ankle injury, scored 53 points against the Detroit Pistons, leading the mavericks to a 111-105 victory.
Luka Doncic, #77 of the Dallas Mavericks, reacts after scoring a basket against the Detroit Pistons in the second half at the American Airlines Center on January 30, 2023 in Dallas. The Mavericks won 111-105.
(Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Doncic lit up the scoreboard while speaking to the Pistons’ bench, specifically an assistant coach who reportedly started a back-and-forth with Doncic early in the game.
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«It was his assistant coach. He started singing in the first quarter,» Doncic said after the win. “They didn’t like it when I answered them. Now they said: ‘he plays basketball’.
«If they’re going to squeak at me, I’m going to squeak back. I’m not afraid.»
Doncic returned to the field after injuring his ankle against the Phoenix Suns on Thursdayadding eight rebounds and five assists to his 50-point performance.
Luka Doncic, number 77 of the Dallas Mavericks, gestures after scoring a three-point basket against the Detroit Pistons in the first half at the American Airlines Center on January 30, 2023 in Dallas.
(Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
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«He’s been very uninterested in double-teaming,» Mavs coach Jason Kidd said, according to ESPN. «We just have to be consistent with the pacing of those shots because we’re going to see it all year. Once we started knocking them down, our defense got better.»
Doncic could be seen exchanging words with the Pistons’ bench with 7.4 seconds remaining in the game, ending a night in which Doncic repeatedly had words for detroit.
«It’s a lot of nothing, a lot of nothing,» Pistons coach Dwane Casey said when asked about the «squeal.»
Dwane Casey of the Detroit Pistons during practice and media availability as part of the NBA Paris Games 2023 at the Palais des sports Marcel-Cerdan on January 17, 2023 in Paris.
(Catherine Steenkeste/NBAE via Getty Images)
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«We’ve seen worse. Do you remember that I trained Gary Payton and Kevin Garnett. So, that night it was zero as far as squeaks. I like. I thought it really got us going, and that’s the way it should be with competitive guys. Doncic is very competitive. I’m lovin ‘it. I love the way he plays, the way he carries himself, and I love the way our guys responded. They were not intimidated. So all is well. It was clean, not dirty at all.»
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Doncic was 17-24 from the field, including 5-11 from 3-point range, as the Mavericks won for the fourth time in the last 10 games.
Only one other Dallas player finished the night in double digits, as Spencer Dinwiddie finished the night with 12 points.