On Friday night, the Los Angeles Clippers looked to get back on track in a difficult matchup against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. And for a while, it seemed as though the Clippers were beginning to figure it out. However, Kyrie Irving led the Mavs back from a 12-point first quarter deficit and the entire team took off from there, with Doncic putting his old nemeses Clippers to the sword with one soul-crushing dagger after another.

Doncic showed that he remains the owner of the Clippers franchise; his barrage of stepback threes, cushioned floaters, and general sense of inevitability certainly evoke some memories of how the Mavs star put the Clippers to the brink of elimination during the 2021 NBA playoffs.

And notorious pundit Kendrick Perkins had a bit of fun as well in displaying how Doncic continued to reign supreme over the flatlining Clippers team. Perkins, in a bit of physical comedy during the ESPN halftime show, took his belt off, stood, and then proceeded to whip the chair with his belt to show how Doncic delivers a routinary spanking to the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George-led team.

Doncic, indeed, beat the Clippers defense to a pulp; it even got to the point where the Clippers, as soon as the Mavs star crossed halfcourt, were sending double-teams just to get the ball out of his hands.

Luka Doncic finished the first half with 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists, leading the way as the Mavs went out to an 77-51 lead at the break. But the Slovenian superstar wasn't done there. He then put up 15 more points in the third period, squashing any hopes of a Clippers comeback en route to finishing with 44 points, six rebounds, and six assists in a 144-126 victory.

The Clippers had already waved the white flag to end the third quarter, with Tyronn Lue pulling all his starters by then. That was how bad it got for LA, as the Mavs simply left no room for doubt with regards to the outcome of the game with this out and out demolition spurred by an otherworldly performance from Doncic.