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Tim MacMahon, ESPN Staff Writer
PHOENIX — Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic added his name to a pair of lists featuring some of the game’s legends while lighting up the Suns on Christmas night.
Doncic entered Monday’s contest only 11 points shy of 10,000 for his career. He hit the milestone in the first quarter and did so in the fewest games of any player since Michael Jordan. He finished the outing by becoming only the fourth player in NBA history with a 50-point performance in a Christmas Day game, leading the Mavericks to a 128-114 win.
“Always, when this kind [of] award comes with a win, it’s even more fun,” said Doncic, who also tallied 15 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks. “It was a tough road game, and we won. So, outside of the 10K and 50 points, we won the game. So, I’m really happy.”
Doncic joined Bernard King, Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry in scoring 50 on Christmas. It was the sixth 50-point performance of Doncic’s career, trailing only Jordan (nine) and LeBron James (eight) for the most by any player before turning 25 years old since the ABA-NBA merger, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Doncic reached the 10,000-point plateau in only 358 games, matching Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo for the seventh-fewest games needed to do so. Chamberlain needed only 236 games to score 10,000 points, the fewest in NBA history. The others who scored 10,000 in fewer contests than Doncic are Jordan, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson and George Gervin.
At 24 years, 300 days old, Doncic is the sixth-youngest player to eclipse 10,000 points, behind James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and Tracy McGrady.
Doncic passed 10,000 points when he swished a 34-foot 3-pointer at the 4:52 mark of the first quarter. It was his longest field goal of the season, according to ESPN Stats & Info data. He finished 15-of-25 from the floor, 8-of-16 from 3-point range and 12-of-12 from the free throw line.
Doncic accounted for 26 points in the first quarter, scoring 17 points and dishing out four assists. The Suns scored only 24 points in the quarter.
Doncic, who played 44 minutes, including the entire second half, had a similarly strong finish after the Suns rallied from a 15-point deficit to take the lead entering the fourth quarter. He had 10 points and five assists in the fourth, accounting for 22 points and matching Phoenix’s total in the frame.
“As I’ve always said, we can’t take him for granted when he’s feeling it,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “You’re just trying to get him the ball as much as possible. You’re also trying to figure out how to get him some rest because we weren’t going to take him out there in the second half, so we needed to ask him or someone to be able to run the offense. And I thought he did a great job of letting other guys bring the ball up.
“But again, when he’s going like that, you got to get him the ball, and you trust your quarterback’s going to do the right thing.”
Doncic accounted for a total of 82 points, surpassing Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic‘s 78 against the Suns last season for the most by any player on Christmas, per ESPN Stats & Info research. Doncic became the first player since James Harden in 2016 to have 50 points and 15 assists in any game.
“I mean, he does this every game,” Suns star Durant said. “He controls the whole game — passes, rebounds, scores. We kind of expect this from him at this point, right?”
It was the continuation of an incredible month for Doncic, who has averaged 37.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 11.6 assists in December, most of which Dallas co-star Kyrie Irving has missed due to a right heel contusion.
“I have never been on a team where someone is scoring the ball like this at such a high rate and also getting his teammates involved and making sure that everybody feels comfortable on the floor,” said eight-year veteran forward Derrick Jones Jr., who put up 23 points for the Mavs (18-12). “It’s incredible. It’s amazing. I have never seen this before.”
Doncic pretended to be offended that he wasn’t asked about his defensive performance during his postgame news conference. He smiled while claiming he should at least be considered for second-team NBA All-Defensive honors. He said he was prouder of the four steals and three blocks than the 50 points and 15 assists.
“Trust me, he pointed that out,” said Mavs rookie big man Dereck Lively II, who registered 20 points and 10 rebounds in his return after missing the previous four games due to a sprained left ankle.
It was the Suns’ ninth loss in 12 games, dropping Phoenix (14-15) below .500.
“We just have to get it together,” Suns star guard Devin Booker said. “And that’s on me, that’s on coach, that’s on KD, all the leaders that we have in here to make sure that we’re prepared.”
Doncic admitted he got a bit of extra pleasure out of his performance given that it came in Phoenix. The Mavs and Suns have developed a rivalry since Dallas upset Phoenix in the second round of the 2022 playoffs, and Doncic and Booker readily acknowledge their disdain for each other.
Doncic was booed when he took the Footprint Center floor for his warmup routine 90 minutes before Monday’s tip and every time he touched the ball early in the game. He exchanged trash talk with fans throughout his spectacular performance.
“I love playing in these environments, especially away,” Doncic said. “It’s fun for me. When you make a shot, the whole gym is quiet, so that’s the best feeling in the world.”
Source: www.espn.com