On Friday evening, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic issued a reminder to the world of just how dominant of a force he is with the basketball in his hands. The Mavs were in town to take on the Atlanta Hawks, and Doncic scored a career high of 73 points in what ultimately became a narrow road win, 41 of which came in the first half alone.
The scoring explosion set X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter, on fire.
Former Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas compared Doncic to what we saw in the prime of James Harden's career with the Houston Rockets.
Luka is what James Harden was in Houston (JH still super cold just saying at his peak). Plays the same exact way! Better just hope he misses cuz you can’t stop em 🤷🏾♂️
— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) January 27, 2024
Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green made reference to the fact that Luka Doncic was actually drafted by the Hawks back in 2018 before being traded to the Mavericks in exchange for Trae Young.
Luka Unreal 😱😱😱😱! They traded Luka right?
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) January 27, 2024
Even Mavericks franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki chipped into the conversation.
Article Continues BelowLuka 🔥🔥🔥
— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) January 27, 2024
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Can’t believe what I’m watching 2 70 point performances in one week the league is Insane right now
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) January 27, 2024
The scoring outburst was just another reminder, if one was needed, that Luka Doncic is one of the most unguardable players the game has ever seen. Critics of the modern NBA are going to take this performance as a sign of the decline of defense in the league; however, the reality is that no defense in NBA history can fully contain a 6-foot-7 basketball magician when he's as on fire as Doncic was Friday night.
The Mavs have a quick turnaround following the contest, as they will be back in Dallas to take on the Sacramento Kings on January 27.