Spellbound, Dirk Nowitzki watched from the stands as Luka Doncic snatched the next record for the history books from him on a basketball evening.
“I’m tired as hell, I need a beer to relax,” said Slovenian Doncic after his 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists against the New York Knicks. The performance of the 23-year-old at 126:121 (55:63) was so unbelievable that the heroes from the strongest league in the world bowed to the exceptional talent in rows.
“There’s going to be another statue in Dallas soon,” tweeted 15-time All-Star Kevin Garnett, referring to an event just two days earlier. A huge monument to Nowitzki had just been unveiled in front of the American Airlines Center to honor the club’s heroes. The German, now 44 years old, won the NBA championship with the Texans in 2011 and, with the legendary number 41 on his back, shone like no other from 1999 to 2019 through struggle, passion and dedication.
Luka Doncic, the superstar
But there has long been a sporting successor to the Würzburger. Doncic has not only been working on his own monument since this evening. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban enthused about the performance of his star, who in the end largely made the home win perfect on his own. He has become the face and heart of the team. Nowitzki did not comment after the final siren, but could be seen on video recordings in the arena. He had set the old club record for most points in a game in December 2004 with 53 points.
Doncic became the first Mavericks player to score more than 50 points for the third time, and he is also the first NBA professional ever to score 60, 20 and 10 in the most important statistical categories. “Unreal,” said Spanish legend Pau Gasol, while Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller simply called it “Luka’s magic.”
Because Doncic, who was born in Ljubljana, has been under contract in the NBA since 2018, his young age is often forgotten. At 2.01 meters and weighing a little over 100 kilograms, he is difficult to defend, even if he doesn’t look as fit as many of his opponents. In 2017 he sensationally became European champion with little Slovenia, and last year he almost made it to the Olympic final as the leader. A point was missing in the semifinals against France, in the end there was fourth place in Tokyo.
The Mavs made a furious comeback against the Knicks in the fourth quarter: with 33 seconds remaining, the hosts were nine points behind, but still saved themselves in overtime. In the final seconds, Doncic went to the free-throw line with a three-point deficit. The point guard hit the first try, deliberately missed the second, grabbed the rebound and scored in the air to level. “I was a bit lucky,” he said modestly: “It’s a great team success.”
victory in overtime
In overtime, the Mavs pulled away thanks to a 10-3 run and crowned one of the most spectacular comebacks in the NBA. “The history of the game is written by the players – and today it got a new chapter,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd, a former teammate of Nowitzki. “It’s really difficult for a player like Luka to achieve something that nobody has done before.” But that is exactly what was achieved.
When he returned to the dressing room after a long day at work with 47:09 minutes playing time, Doncic was greeted euphorically by his cheering teammates and showered with water. This seemed almost uncomfortable for the exceptional player himself, while he provided new arguments for the vote for the most valuable player. Votes can still be cast until January 21st. A week ago, the Mavericks sent a request to their fans on Twitter: “You know what to do.”
Lakers and Schröder celebrate victory against Wagner brothers
Dennis Schröder and the Los Angeles Lakers won the comparison between the German national team and the Orlando Magic around the brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner. With a 129:110 (64:55) away win, the Lakers stopped the negative trend of the last four defeats in a row. Superstar LeBron James scored 28 points. Schröder got seven points. Franz Wagner got 15 points, his brother Moritz 12.
Despite 48 points from Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers lost for the first time in eight straight wins. The Sixers had to admit defeat to the Washington Wizards at home with 111:116 (56:67). Latvia international Kristaps Porzingis led the Wizards with 24 points and hit an important three-pointer in the closing stages.
