{"id":36556,"date":"2021-01-15T11:30:43","date_gmt":"2021-01-15T16:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=36556"},"modified":"2021-03-23T18:52:46","modified_gmt":"2021-03-23T22:52:46","slug":"luka-doncic-is-finally-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2021\/01\/15\/luka-doncic-is-finally-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Luka Doncic is Finally Back"},"content":{"rendered":"

Luka Doncic<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>had his fair share of struggles early on in the season. The Dallas Mavericks<\/a> stumbled to 2-4 out the gates as a result. Doncic looked a little out of basketball shape and his shooting numbers were low while turnovers were high. The rough start can also be attributed to\u00a0Kristaps Porzingis<\/a><\/strong> being out. However, with that being said, the Mavericks are 5-0 in the last games Doncic has played in. His play has been incredible, and there’s no denying that he’s back after his short slump.<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic is Finally Back<\/h2>\n

Eastern Conference Foes<\/h3>\n

In the 5-0 stretch with Doncic, Dallas has defeated three Eastern Conference teams. These include the Miami Heat, <\/a>Orlando Magic<\/a>, and Charlotte Hornets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dallas defeated Miami 93-83. The Mavericks were in complete control the entire game, and the scoreboard doesn’t necessarily show that as Miami outscored Dallas by 10 in the fourth quarter when the game was already sealed. Doncic finished the game with 27 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists.<\/p>\n

The story in Orlando was the same. Doncic finished with a 20-10-10 triple-double. The points were lower than usual, but that’s because Tim Hardaway Jr.<\/strong><\/a> and Trey Burke<\/a><\/strong> combined for 66 points.<\/p>\n

Doncic was in complete control during the Mavericks’ 104-93 win versus Charlotte. Dallas was short-handed due to COVID-19 health protocols, but that didn’t matter to him. He finished with 34 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 blocks, and 2 steals. Don’t look now, but he has established himself as a very strong defender as of late.<\/p>\n

Western Conference Foes<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Mavericks finished 2-0 versus Western Conference teams in this stretch. These include wins against the Houston Rockets<\/a> and Denver Nuggets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dallas handled Houston with ease, in a time where\u00a0James Harden<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>was still present. Doncic recorded a triple-double with 33 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists.<\/p>\n

The Nuggets’ game was intense and went into overtime until the Mavericks ultimately sealed it with a Doncic mid-range shot with a minute left. He finished with 38 points, 9 rebounds, and 13 assists.<\/p>\n

It’s clear that he is back to his MVP-contending self. Pair that with the fact that he added a solid mid-range shot and solid defense, there’s a chance he may be even better than last season sooner than later.<\/p>\n

Main Photo
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>