Doncic’s 50 points were the huge takeaway in win over Rockets

HOUSTON – Luka Doncic put on an thoroughly dominant MVP-type performance Friday night at the Toyota Center.

The Dallas Mavericks’ point guard was so impressive that he was 17-of-30 from the floor and scored a whopping 50 points, while his teammates were just 19-of-50 from the field and tallied 62 points. Indeed, it was some magic performed by one of the world’s greatest players as the Mavs defeated the Houston Rockets, 112-106.

“There were a lot of plays that were made (Friday) by not just Luka, but by the rest of the guys that played,” coach Jason Kidd said. “Luka is Luka. He’s the best player in the world and he showed that carrying the load offensively.”

In addition to his points, Doncic also snatched eight rebounds, dispensed 10 assists and picked up three steals. And he strategically executed a pair of crucial assists late in the game which directly led to three-point baskets by Davis Bertans and Spencer Dinwiddie.

“There were some big plays that he trusted where he could have shot the ball with two guys on him, but he trusted his teammates and he made the right play,” Kidd said. “And again, when you make the right play in this game a lot of good things will happen.”

And when a team has Doncic on its roster, a lot of good things will happen.

“I don’t know what else to say about him,” Kidd said. “He was incredible.”

Here are the three takeaways from the six-point win over the Rockets.

DONCIC WAS VERY EFFECTIVE: Like most teams in the NBA, the Rockets had no legitimate answer for Luka Doncic. No matter who coach Stephen Silas threw at Doncic, on this night it didn’t work. With TNT studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal sitting courtside, Doncic got into a zone not only shooting the ball, but also passing the ball. Plus, he got a little fancy one time when — as he was driving to the basket — he effectively dribbled the ball between his own legs and then scored. The 50 points Doncic scored were one shy of his career high of 51 last season during a Feb. 10 game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

WOOD THE DEFENDER: Mavs fans have been clamoring for Christian Wood to step up his game on the defensive end of the floor. Well, Friday night Wood did just that as he accumulated more blocked shots (four) than the entire Rockets’ team (three). Wood came in averaging 17.2 points, but was only 2-of-6 from the floor in scoring eight points while concentrating on his defense. He also grabbed five rebounds.

WRIGHT/PINSON HAD AN IMPACT: McKinley Wright IV and Theo Pinson probably won’t get their names in the headlines any time soon. But that duo came off the bench Friday and provided the Mavs with a huge spark. Wright had two points, three rebounds and two steals in 10 minutes. He also saved a ball from going out of bounds, which turned into a basket by Frank Ntilikina. Pinson, meanwhile, fired in back-to-back three-pointers in the second quarter and finished with six points and three boards in 14 minutes. Both were pressed into action because of injuries.

Twitter: @DwainPrice