Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to win their seventh consecutive game, ending the Houston Rockets' 11-game win streak with a 125-107 win. Doncic pulled off an underhand circus shot from near the 3-point line, prompting Mavs' head coach Jason Kidd to compare him to Picasso.
"We've been lucky enough to be around him for three years. We've seen him kick the ball in, shoot from half-court, and full-court, and sitting in a chair. To see him do that, I think a lot of people got excited but I think that's Luka. He's always able to make tough shots. Picasso when you give him the paintbrush, he's going to do something special, and that shot was special."
Luka was having fun during the game, with Kidd rightfully praising this incredible shot from Doncic during the game.
Kidd alluded to Doncic's ability to make incredible trick shots, something the Slovenian guard showed before the game by banking a shot off the video board at the top of the arena.
Doncic put up 47 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists in the win over the Rockets. Doncic scored 47 through the first three quarters, getting off to an electric start. He put up 22 in the first quarter when the Rockets as a team put up 24.
He ended the half at 35 points but didn't play with much effort in his stint in the fourth quarter with the Mavs up big. Dallas has moved up to the No. 5 seed in the West as the franchise is tied for their longest win streak of the Doncic era, hoping to win their eighth-consecutive game against the Warriors the day after.
Luka Doncic Making Noise For MVP
Luka Doncic's MVP campaign has been gestating all season with his otherworldly production. However, it was clear that no voter would look his way over the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic given they are fighting for the No. 1 seed in the West. But if Doncic leads the Mavs to the No. 4 seed when they were No. 8 with a record of 34-28 a few weeks ago, it'll be remarkable.
The Mavericks are two games behind the Clippers at No. 4, with the Clippers also holding the season tiebreaker. Dallas will hope to keep their hot streak going to catch up with LAC and be a home-court team. If their record improves to that level, Doncic's MVP case is inarguable given the injuries the team has dealt with and how they have found instant success after reshaping their team at the deadline.
Doncic is averaging 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 9.8 assists this season. He likely has the scoring title already wrapped up but with a relatively easy schedule, Luka will hope to carry the franchise to more wins and make his MVP case stronger. Nikola Jokic is the leading candidate at the moment and even he's conceded that Luka deserves the award this season.
The Mavericks are 11-0 in the last 11 games that Doncic has played, with the team's last loss coming with Luka sidelined. They're looking unbeatable at the moment, which is worrying for the entire NBA.
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