What Luka Doncic did in totally torching the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night presented another
opportunity for Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd to marvel at yet another remarkable masterpiece the fourth-year point guard was able to piece together at Smoothie King Center.
In what has become commonplace ever since he entered the NBA in 2018, Doncic ran circles around the Pelicans as he lit them up for 49 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in steering the Mavs to a 125-118 triumph.
This was the final game before the All-Star break for the Mavs, and they went into the break with a 35-24 record and 11 games over .500 for the first time this season. Meanwhile, most of the damage against the Pelicans was done by Doncic, who was so efficient and so dominant that he already had accumulated 45 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists by the time the Mavs took a 105-81 lead into the fourth quarter.
“We can sit here and talk about (Doncic) all day,” Kidd said. “The things that he does on the court for himself (and) for his teammates is incredible.
“I think we’ve used every noun (and) adjective to describe his game, and he just gets better when the stage is big. And he delivered again.”
Boy, did he ever.
While registering his fourth 40-point game over the past eight contests, Doncic kept befuddling the Pelicans’ defense while dazzling the crowd with a breath-taking performance that was as artful as any he’s ever played. Doncic did a considerable amount of damage in the first quarter when he fired in 19 points, grabbed five rebounds and distributed four assists while making 4-of-5 shots from 
downtown.
That tone-setting performance by Doncic was highlighted by his three-pointer at the buzzer which netted the Mavs a 45-27 lead – their highest scoring quarter of the season – after the first quarter.
“Sometimes it’s different when you play away games,” said Doncic, who scored a career-high 51 points last week in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. “(The fans are) booing, and then they’re liked amazed. Sometimes I realize that. It doesn’t affect me.
“Today, I played good for three quarters, but the last quarter was just very bad. But we just got a win, so I’m happy.”
In shooting 53.7 percent from the field and making 19-of-40 shots from beyond the three-point arc, the Mavs looked as though they were going to jog merrily to the finish line. But the next thing they knew the Pelicans had quickly climbed within 112-118 of Dallas with 37.2 seconds remaining following a steal and breakaway dunk by CJ McCollum.
However, Jalen Brunson (23 points, six assists) nailed a pair of free throws with 28.7 seconds left and the Mavs were able to go off to their mini vacation with their 19th win in their last 25 games.
“People started thinking about the vacation before it even starts,” Brunson said. “It’s a natural human habit, but we just had to go out there and play our game and try to fend off a pretty good team.
“Yes, they do have a losing record, but you saw the way they were fighting back. They fought and we were able to withstand their run at the end and finish the win.”
It was a victory the Mavs know never should have been in doubt against a New Orleans team that’s languishing with a subpar 23-36
record. But the Mavs apparently took their feet off the gas, and the Pelicans staged a miraculous comeback that provided for some anxious moments down the stretch.
“I think in the NBA you can never relax, because (the Pelicans) really have a bunch of talented scorers and they showed it tonight,” said Maxi Kleber, who tallied a season-high 20 points. “They cut it back to four (points).
“We’ve had bad losses before when we had a big lead, so you have to respect the opponent and never take it easy because once you relax they’re going to attack. I think overall today we relied a little bit too much on the offense, especially after the first quarter since we made so many shots, and we didn’t play the same defense that we are supposed to play.”
Still, the Mavs have Doncic. And when he has it going like he had it going Thursday, they know they’re going to be difficult to beat.
“Luka set the tone early and often,” Kidd said. “But that’s just something that great players do. They set the tone knowing that guys could start thinking about the break.”
And that’s not all great players do, as chronicled by the 7-of-14 showing Doncic strung together from three-point range. He kept throwing darts at the basket and the Pelicans appeared helpless in trying to contain him.
“Any time Luka goes big, it’s hard to play and get a rhythm,” Kidd said. “I thought the guys this past week have really absorbed — when Luka is going big — to be able to just be patient, and I thought they were patient tonight.
“But give New Orleans credit. They came back and fought and made a game of it late in the fourth.”
The Mavs were in such a comfortable groove — they converted 9-of-12 three-pointers in the first quarter – that they went on to lead, 71-58, at intermission. It was the fourth 70-point half of the season for the Mavs.
“I think we played great for three quarters – three quarters and something,” said Doncic, who scored 20 points in the third quarter. “But then we relaxed a little bit and let them come back.
“We’ve got to learn from that. We can’t let this happen.”
Doncic actually had an excellent opportunity to record his second career 50-point game. However, he missed a pair of free throws with 13.4 seconds remaining in the game.
“I had to chuckle at the end,” Kidd said. “He got the two free throws and I just knew he was going to make one.”
The Mavs also were chuckling when Dorian Finney-Smith (14 points, three steals) stole the ball from McCollum and scampered down court for a layup to put Dallas ahead, 122-113, with 2:52 left.
McCollum led the Pelicans with 38 points and five assists, and they also received major productions from Jaxson Hayes (18 points, six rebounds), Jonas Valanciunas (16 points, 18 rebounds) and Brandon Ingram (12 points, eight assists).
But all of that paled in comparison to the near-perfect painting turned in by Doncic.
“What he’s doing right now is unbelievable,” Kleber said. “I didn’t even realize that he already had (45) points (after three quarters). It felt so quiet and easy.
“He’s such a talented scorer. Not just a scorer – overall offensive player — he finds people. He had eight assists and we all know that could have been more, too. He’s just gifted, and as a teammate it’s fun to watch.”
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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