January 26th, 2024 marks the day that the basketball world and I got to watch Luka Dončić absolutely explode for 73 points against the Atlanta Hawks. 73 points. Not to mention that he racked up 10 boards, 7 assists, and shot unbelievably efficiently across the board, finishing the game comfortably in the 50-40-90 club for the night. This Mavericks vs. Hawks matchup is always one to look forward to, with the game bringing us a lot of enjoyable dynamics and individual storylines to make the competitive display of basketball ability extremely entertaining to watch. Luka’s career night comes only a few days after Joel Embiid scored 70 points himself, further indicating that we could very well be seeing a continual rise in these high-scoring performances, as I have discussed in the past.
Luka's Career Night
I’d like to dive right into breaking down and assessing the utterly excellent performance that Luka put together for us last night, as I believe that starting this article anywhere else would be disrespectful to Dončić. Luka, an already highly praised and respected superstar at just 24 years of age, has yet again managed to surprise and impress us more than we thought was possible. Luka dropped 73 points in 44 minutes of play, registering a new career high for himself and a new franchise record for the Dallas Mavericks. Luka added 10 rebounds and 7 assists to that scoring line, still getting his teammates involved effortlessly in a game that he was clearly taking full scoring control over.
Luka ended the night in the 50-40-90 club, which in the world of basketball is a very difficult but extremely impressive feat. His final shooting splits were 75.8% from the field, 61.5% from 3, and 93.8% from the charity stripe. I am genuinely sitting here writing this with so much admiration as I even attempt to process the perfect display of offensive ability and unmatched efficiency that Luka gifted to us yesterday. Scoring 25 of 33 shot attempts (8 of 13 from 3) is unbelievable.
This is especially true given that a team’s best player is tasked with facing all primary defensive matchups, and even more so when we consider that shooting at such a high volume while maintaining that level of efficiency is practically unheard of, especially amongst guards. Luka’s efficient splits allowed for his teammates to find some rhythm when needed, and his assist numbers put that into context. Luka’s magical night was enough to lead the Mavericks to a win, bringing them to a record of 25-20 for this campaign so far.
If the Mavericks are going to make any noise in the postseason, some adjustments and changes to their lineup and rotations may be needed. Not letting another year of Luka's tenure go to waste should be the priority, and providing the assistance that Luka Dončić needs to pair with his unimaginable individual ability is of utmost importance.
Luka Magic vs Ice Trae: A Storyline for the Future
The Dallas Mavericks and the Atlanta Hawks are two teams that historically have not had any notable rivalries or feuds amongst one another. However, when looking at the two teams’ relationship from 2018 onwards, it has become clear that a rivalry is beginning to form, even if that is occurring more so subconsciously for the time being.
The reason for this is that during the 2018 draft, Luka Dončić was selected by the Hawks at the 3rd pick, and Trae Young was selected by the Mavericks at the 5th pick. However, the two were traded for one another on draft night, ultimately sending Luka to the Mavs and Trae to ATL to start off their careers in the NBA.
Fast-forward to the current day; Luka and Trae have both taken the keys to their respective franchises and made genuine contributions to their success, which separates them from a lot of other point guards in the league. I believe that Luka and Trae’s names will continue to be linked to one another until the end of their careers, as it is not often that we witness (in hindsight) two superstar talents getting traded for one another on their own draft night. This healthy competition also allows both franchises to benefit from this rivalry, which for the time being seems to be very unproblematic and respectful amongst the teams and players.
Good competition makes the league stronger, and when top-tier players like Luka Dončić and Trae Young take these competitions and matchups more personally, it allows for the most enjoyable basketball to be played on the biggest stage.