‘Eyes in back of his head’: Aussie’s wild play amid star’s ‘unbelievable’ MVP statement — NBA Wrap

In a battle of two of the NBA’s largest superstars, it was Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks who got here out on prime over Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors in a 116-113 win on Wednesday afternoon.

Doncic made an MVP assertion within the win, scoring 41 factors to go together with 12 assists, 12 rebounds, 4 steals and one block.

With it, Doncic turned the sixth participant in NBA historical past to report 5 or extra 40-point triple-doubles and the scary half is that he’s solely 23 years outdated.

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“At 34 years old, we’re seeing stuff that Steph’s doing that has never been done in his career and again right now at 23 years young [Doncic is] putting the team on his back,” Candace Parker stated in commentary.

“Obviously very high usage for Luka but at the end of the day the amount of minutes he’s carrying night in, night out and doing it at this rate with the ball in his hands for as much as he does, it’s unbelievable.”

“I think right now he’s the best all-round offensive player in the game with his ability to get his own shot, to score from anywhere on the court and create for others,” added Stan Van Gundy.

“They have not won a game this year where Luka hasn’t scored 30 points, they are 0-5. That puts a lot of pressure on Doncic to produce.”

For what it’s price, the Mavericks formally made a transfer on Wednesday to handle that concern, signing four-time All-Star Kemba Walker so as to add an additional choice to the backcourt.

Tim Hardaway Jr. helped lighten the load on the offensive finish with 22 factors for the Mavericks whereas Spencer Dinwiddie had 14 earlier than getting ejected.

Curry, in the meantime, led the best way for the Warriors with 32 factors, 5 assists and 5 rebounds within the loss.

The Mavericks made a quick begin at American Airlines Center, leaping out to a 23-6 lead as turnovers proved expensive for the Warriors early.

Doncic was closely concerned on each side of the ball, with three defensive rebounds to go together with two assists and three factors as Dallas went up by 17 after eight minutes.

Australian Josh Green, who completed the sport with 13 factors, two rebounds, an help and a steal off the bench, additionally hit an early 3-point jumper as he continues to show himself a much-improved shooter.

He additionally had an ideal spin go for Davis Bertans to hit a 3-pointer within the second quarter.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr referred to as an early timeout after that 23-6 opening from Dallas and received an instantaneous response because the Warriors scored the subsequent 5 factors of the sport.

Finding a option to shut down Doncic although was going to be key to stopping Dallas from persevering with to pile on the factors and that, in fact, is simpler stated than executed.

Doncic went on to attain eight of the Mavericks’ subsequent 13 factors to shut the quarter, though Golden State ended the interval on a 7-2 run to shut the hole to 36-24.

Still, it was a dominant opening from Dallas and sloppy begin for Golden State, who turned the ball over six occasions within the first quarter whereas additionally committing seven fouls.

While Golden State’s bench has been a problem for almost all of the season, its second unit was a power on Wednesday as Anthony Lamb and Jonathan Kuminga added a couple of essential buckets to open the second quarter.

Curry then got here again into the sport within the second half of the quarter and saved up the momentum, seeing Golden State go into halftime solely trailing 55-54.

Kuminga was an enormous motive for that, placing in certainly one of his greatest performances of the season off the bench with eight factors, 5 rebounds and an help within the first half.

His defence particularly had additionally helped hold Golden State within the recreation as Klay Thompson (0 factors), Andrew Wiggins (two factors) and Jordan Poole (three factors) struggled.

Wiggins began to catch hearth late within the third quarter with six factors within the house of 1 minute whereas Curry added 10 factors, however nonetheless the Mavericks held a 92-87 lead.

That lead although instantly disappeared when Dinwiddie, who entered the sport for Doncic to start out the fourth quarter, was ejected for a Flagrant-2 foul on Poole.

With Dinwiddie gone and Doncic nonetheless not again on the court docket, the Warriors took full benefit to leap out to a 100-96 lead.

Green although got here up with two key defensive performs on Poole to assist encourage a Dallas fightback, with Van Gundy stuffed with reward for the Australian’s hustle.

“Josh Green is giving Jordan Poole fits,” he stated in commentary.

“He knocked the ball away from him twice on the same possession. Those are the kind of plays that inspire your teammates as you’re trying to come back from four down.”

It did simply that as Doncic’s return to the court docket noticed the Mavericks retake the lead, going up 103-100 with seven minutes left within the quarter.

The lead continued to alter heading into the dying levels of the minutes, with each Curry and Doncic standing tall when their groups wanted them most.

Green additionally got here up huge in each defence and offence, hitting a 3-point jumper after which driving by way of contact to the basket with a powerful end to place the Mavs up 113-110 late.

In the tip Dallas would maintain on for a 116-113 win, though Thompson had an opportunity to ship it to time beyond regulation within the last seconds of the sport however missed.

BIRTHDAY BOY EXPLODES FOR KNICKS, CLIPPERS IN COMEBACK

New York’s Julius Randle celebrated his twenty eighth birthday with a season-high 36 factors because the Knicks trounced the Pistons 140-110 in Detroit.

“I’m getting old,” Randle quipped in a post-game interview with MSG Network after a standout efficiency that included seven rebounds, 5 assists and a steal. “I’ve got to cherish these games.” Quentin Grimes, Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett scored 16 factors apiece for the Knicks and Immanuel Quickley added 15 off the bench.

The Knicks had misplaced 4 of their earlier 5 contests, however stretched their successful streak in opposition to Detroit to 11 video games.

The Pistons, who haven’t crushed the Knicks since January 2020, have been led by 19 factors from Isaiah Stewart, who was again in motion after lacking seven video games with a sprained toe.

Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanovic scored 13 in his return from harm, however two common Pistons starters, Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, have been sidelined.

The Pistons put collectively a 20-9 run to take a 45-44 lead with 8:09 left within the second quarter.

The Knicks responded with a 24-8 run to take a 70-56 lead at halftime. They out-scored the Pistons 38-21 within the third, which Randle opened with three baskets — certainly one of them a dunk that Stewart took exception to, giving Randle a shove to earn a technical foul.

The Knicks led 108-77 going into the fourth quarter, which Randle and the remainder of the Knicks starters watched from the bench.

In Portland, the Los Angeles Clippers capped the evening with a 118-112 come-from-behind victory over the Trail Blazers.

Norman Powell led the Clippers with 32 factors off the bench. Reggie Jackson added 24, enjoying on after taking a tough fall on his again that left him needing assist to get to the bench.

Anfernee Simons led the Blazers with 37 factors and Jerami Grant added 32 earlier than fouling out within the fourth quarter, when Portland, with star Damian Lillard nonetheless sidelined by a calf pressure, have been unable to halt the Clippers’ rally from an 18-point third-quarter deficit.

NBA SCORES FOR WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30

Mavericks 116, Warriors 113

Knicks 140, Pistons 110

Trail Blazers 112, Clippers 118