On Tuesday it was Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Cities.
On Saturday, it was Luka Doncic and Devin Booker’s flip to step up, marking simply the fifth time in league historical past that two gamers have scored 60 factors or extra on the identical day.
As was the case for Embiid and Cities, it was contrasting fortunes for Doncic and Booker’s groups with the Mavs profiting from their famous person’s historic evening however the identical wasn’t true for the Suns.
Doncic had 73 factors, 10 rebounds and 7 assists as Dallas outlasted Atlanta 148-143 whereas Booker scored 62 factors in Phoenix’s 133-131 loss to Indiana.
Doncic joined Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and David Thompson within the file books as simply the fourth participant to achieve 73 factors whereas he was the tenth to hit 70 factors.
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Whereas all eyes had been understandably on Doncic it was additionally a giant sport for Australian Josh Inexperienced, who scored a season-high 21 factors whereas Dante Exum had just a few useful photographs off the bench.
Doncic set a brand new franchise file for factors in a single half, racking up 41 to move Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, who in 2009 had put up 34 factors within the second half of a sport.
It was additionally the third-most factors by any NBA participant in a half within the play-by-play period (since 1996-97), solely sitting behind Karl-Anthony Cities (44 in 2024) and Kobe Bryant (42 in 03).
It was a extremely environment friendly 41 factors from Doncic too, who made 16 of 21 subject aim makes an attempt together with 5 3-pointers, to go along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Whereas it had been the Doncic present within the opening half it wasn’t truly sufficient to offer Dallas the lead, as a substitute heading into the locker room stage at 66-all with Atlanta.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, who has been the topic of commerce hypothesis, was main the best way for the Hawks with 15 factors, three rebounds and two assists.
Trae Younger, in the meantime, had 11 factors and 6 assists whereas Jalen Johnson, who can also be believed to be untouchable forward of the commerce deadline, had 11 factors.
Devin Harris, who spent 9 of his 15 NBA seasons in Dallas, was stunned on the ease by which Doncic scored towards the Atlanta defence given working mate Kyrie Irving was sidelined.
“He adopted up an All-Star nod with an All-Star sort efficiency in that first half,” Harris mentioned on Bally Sports activities Southwest.
“An environment friendly 16 from 21, solely lacking three 3s — simply actually taking it upon himself to actually carry this workforce offensively within the first half. [The team] obtained off to a sluggish begin, he didn’t and simply began pulling down photographs left and proper.
“I’m kind of curious from the Hawks perspective with no Kai I anticipated extra double groups and making an attempt to take the ball out of his arms a little bit bit. He’s too gifted to permit him to play one-on-one and permit him to get in-rhythm photographs and if you play him one-on-one he can dominate you in huge stretches and we noticed that within the first half.”
The expectation was that the Hawks would rectify that by double-teaming Doncic extra within the third quarter to drive different gamers to provide however as a substitute the Slovenian famous person picked up the place he left off, draining an early 3-pointer.
Doncic was getting some assist, most notably from Inexperienced, who continues to flash much-improved confidence taking pictures nook 3s whereas additionally driving in direction of the rim with aggression, which has opened up his sport as a complete.
The spotlight got here halfway by the primary quarter breezed previous Saddiq Bey, exhibiting no hesitation as he attacked the rim and completed with an emphatic reverse jam.
“Josh Inexperienced has been that supporting forged you had been on the lookout for,” former Mavericks participant Derek Harper mentioned in commentary.
Inexperienced had an early 3-pointer to open the third quarter and added one other bucket quickly after earlier than then dishing it out for Tim Hardaway Jr. to empty one from deep, which noticed Dallas begin to push away and open up a 83-76 lead.
Inexperienced had a move picked off by Younger and went again to the bench quickly after however was reintroduced to the sport minutes later and had a right away affect on each side of the ground.
First Inexperienced fought for a contested defensive rebound, tipping the ball ahead after which confirmed super court docket imaginative and prescient to search out Jalen Hardy for the transition dunk.
That put the Mavs forward 89-81 and whereas a Bogdanovic bucket noticed the Hawks hit again immediately it was solely a matter of seconds earlier than Doncic drained one other 3-pointer so as to add to his private tally.
“He’s making it look straightforward,” Harper mentioned.
Dallas referred to as a timeout at that time, main 92-83 and that shortly grew to become an 11-point buffer after a Inexperienced layup because the Australian constructed on certainly one of his finest video games of the season.
Accidents and inconsistent minutes have at instances restricted Inexperienced’s confidence however the 23-year-old has been thriving recently, bettering his 3-point taking pictures and basic involvement throughout the board.
Talking of accidents, Exum (heel) lately returned and scored the final 5 factors of the third quarter for Dallas as Atlanta began to shut the hole with Doncic going to the bench.
The Exum burst put the Mavs forward 108-102 heading into the ultimate quarter as Doncic returned to the motion on 57 factors.
Doncic was fast to get again to work as he scored Dallas’ first eight factors of the interval, together with a unprecedented 3-pointer that at this fee regarded bizarre for the Mavs famous person.
“They’re seeing one thing that they are going to always remember, that we’ll always remember… let Luka Doncic cook dinner,” Mark Followill mentioned in commentary.
Even when Doncic wasn’t scoring he was attracting every kind of consideration from the Hawks, defence, passing to Inexperienced who then discovered a wide-open Hardaway Jr. for a 3-pointer.
Doncic then aggressively completed by contact for an and-3 to deliver up 70 factors, letting out a roar as he seemingly had the Mavericks destined for victory.
His teammates although couldn’t end the job, with just a few missed buckets opening the door for the Hawks who rallied to get it to 137-133 with 90 seconds left on the clock.
A selfless Doncic later handed up a attainable 3-pointer so as to add to his historic efficiency, as a substitute discovering Exum with a greater look and the Australian made no mistake.
As had been the case late within the fourth, Atlanta refused to go away however the Mavs saved making buckets down the stretch too.
First a dialled-in Doncic as soon as once more aggressively drove in direction of the rim for the and-1 earlier than Inexperienced capped off a powerful evening with a 3-pointer to push the Dallas lead out to 146-138.
“Inexperienced has stepped up in a giant method,” Harper mentioned.
A late 3-pointer noticed the Hawks get inside three factors with just a few seconds on the clock however Hardaway Jr. made each free throws after he was fouled to depart the ultimate rating at 148-143.
BOOKER’S BIG NIGHT SOURED BY SUNS LOSS
Doncic’s masterclass barely overshadowed one other standout efficiency from Suns guard Booker, who erupted for 62 factors in Phoenix’s 133-131 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Booker, who has scores of 46 and 52 in his final 5 video games, had a career-high 29 factors within the opening quarter alone after taking pictures 10-for-14 from the sector, together with 4 3-pointers.
It tied probably the most factors in any quarter within the NBA this season after Joel Embiid put up 29 towards the Wizards within the third quarter final November whereas it additionally marked the league’s highest-scoring first quarter since Kevin Love scored 34 towards Portland in 2016.
Booker cooled down a bit within the second with eight factors and an help after getting a five-minute relaxation however the Suns famous person was fast to pile on extra factors within the third.
Booker had 15 factors within the interval whereas additionally allotting just a few assists because the Suns took a 114-105 lead into the fourth, with the 27-year-old sitting to open the quarter as Kevin Durant entered the sport.
Indiana was in a position to minimize the deficit to 6 factors earlier than Booker was introduced again into the sport and made a driving layup so as to add to his tally, scoring six of Phoenix’s subsequent 9 factors.
However after scoring 40 factors within the first two quarters of the sport, the Suns managed simply 17 factors within the fourth because the Pacers stormed dwelling to grab the win regardless of Booker’s heroics.
New addition Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 31 factors, seven rebounds and two steals whereas Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard every had 22 factors.
The Pacers additionally obtained loads of manufacturing off the bench, with Obi Toppin scoring 23 factors to go along with 11 rebounds whereas Jalen Smith had 13 factors and 10 boards.
Elsewhere, Jaren Jackson scored 30 factors and grabbed eight rebounds for the Memphis Grizzlies, who noticed a double-digit lead evaporate however held on for a 107-106 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Donovan Mitchell scored 32 factors to propel the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 112-100 victory over the Bucks in Milwaukee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 22 factors, pulled down 11 rebounds and handed out 9 assists — developing simply shy of a 3rd straight triple-double.
Damian Lillard added one other 22 factors for Milwaukee, who confirmed that Doc Rivers — who guided Boston to the 2008 NBA title — would take over as head coach after the abrupt sacking of Adrian Griffin.
Assistant Joe Prunty had stood in as interim coach for 2 video games, the primary a win over Cleveland that ended the Cavs’ eight-game profitable streak on Wednesday.
— With AFP