The Dallas Mavericks lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night when superstar Luka Doncic sat with ankle pain. They won the Rematch 104-96 on December 8th behind an impressive night for the 22-year-old. Doncic led the second half to give Dallas a comfortable win.
The Mavericks were on the second night of a consecutive set after suffering a fourth quarter breakdown against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. It was their eighth loss in the last ten games, and the Grizzlies had one remaining edge and had a five-game winning streak when they hosted Dallas on Wednesday night.
Luka wasn’t going to let the Mavericks lose in Memphis. Here’s a closer look at his incredible performance and why Dallas needed the win.
The Mavs had every reason to fall down the track on December 8th. They were on the second night of a meeting, Kristaps Porzingis was in trouble, the Grizzlies had a five-game winning streak, and so on. No one would have blamed Dallas for losing a close game to a hot team in Memphis, but Doncic wouldn’t let it.
Instead, the Mavericks dominated the second half on their way to their 12th win of the season. Luka was leading with 16 in the last 24 minutes. Dallas turned up the heat in the fourth quarter to run away from the competition. They outperformed Memphis with 7 points in the final third, including Doncic who hit that key basket.
. @ luka7doncic is in his pocket? pic.twitter.com/cs17PG05Yb
– Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 9, 2021
Doncic ended with 26 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a steal in 36 minutes of action. Fans could see him grimace on the pitch, but the 22-year-old played it off. He shot ten out of 19 out of the field, including five 3-point points when the Mavericks outperformed the Grizzlies by 18 during Luke’s time on the ground.
The Mavs took the Wednesday night win to break their youngest skid, and the win brought Dallas back to .500 for the season. The Mavericks plan to win the division and this game was huge in that standings. Memphis won the first meeting, 2.5 games ahead. Luka and his colleagues equalized the season streak, putting Dallas straight back into the Southwest Division’s race.
The Dallas Mavericks return Friday night when they travel to Indiana to see Pacers. It’s the first time the team has met former head coach Rick Carlisle after spending 13 years in Dallas. Fans should expect fireworks, including a monster performance by Luka Doncic, so don’t miss out.
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