Dončić played his best manners against Slovenian BFF Goran Dragić
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Great news, Luke fans!
We found the only person who can silence a premature, 23-year-old on the court.
No, not by statistics.
Luka finished a brilliant 37 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, one block and two steals in 39 minutes against Brooklyn on Wednesday.
What a treat for all viewers except for the Nets.
But he probably recorded a low season in the match chatting with officials and an opponent.
why
On the other side was Goran Dragić.
Anyone who observes the interaction between them several times a year, when they meet during the NBA season, can see how Luka is looking forward to his Slovenian mentor and close friend.
He smiles through the entire conversations in the bowels of the arenas after matches. Their hugs to say goodbye and then say goodbye last longer than most – except perhaps Boban’s patented hug hug.
They have the same language, the history of national team championships and ties dates back to Luke’s childhood.
So did Luka feel something extra when he manipulated the switch to Dragic for the last 30 seconds on Wednesday – which the veteran veteran knew was an obvious mismatch in defense – and hit the bucket for the green light over his longtime mentor?
“No,” Luke said. “It’s less fun.”
But did he at least hesitate about Dragic about his huge statistical line in the same way he told other opponents that they were too small or otherwise not close to his level?
“No, I can’t talk to him,” Luka said. “He’s my mentor, so I can’t.”
But don’t be fooled.
He made sure that the Mavs knew Slovenian inputs.
“Luka let us know we were playing against KOZL, Goran,” Jason Kidd joked after the game. “It’s his idol. He grew up under it and respects it very much.”
The port is in the middle one of the most prolific sections of his NBA career right now.
He also reinforced this with some of the season’s best manners in his latest national television show.
Photo of the week
Doncic deets
Luka’s statistics in 53 matches: 28.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.2 steals; 45.5% FG, 34.1% 3FG in 35.7 minutes per game.
Best of the week: These days, pick your poison against Luka during clutch time.
Should he drive to the paint and send him four defenders? If you are hot Celtics, the ball will bounce on the wing and let Spencer Dinwiddie do the damage. Send a double team past the bow when the last seconds are running? If you’re a desperate Nets, he’ll bounce it to his left and let Dinwiddie do the damage – again.
Leave it 1-on-1, especially close to the wing? Do not doubt that Luka would be more than ready to take care of it himself.
Note the following: The last time against the Sixers, Luke forced officials to suspend play in the middle of the first quarter because the edge on the hoop in front of the Mavs ’bench looked covered. Luke then became informal correspondent of the broken rim for ESPN while staff members tried to fix it – but at first they ruined it more.
And then he moved in Top 10 Triple Twins in NBA League History.
Please, oh, please keep both rims straight and firm on Friday in Philadelphia. The Sixers may have other hopes for Luke’s power.
More Mavericks reports from The Dallas Morning News can be found here.