Luka Doncic was phenomenal for the Dallas Mavericks in their Game 1 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. However, what many may have failed to notice is that he scored just one point in the fourth quarter.
Yes, that's right. ONE FREAKING POINT. Luka had 30 points through the first three quarters, and he finished the night with 31. That doesn't really matter though, as he drew the defense on him and contributed on other areas to complete his triple-double for the Mavs (10 rebounds, 11 assists).
After the contest, Doncic spoke about his scoring output in the final quarter and played it down, noting that what is important is they got the much-needed W.
“We won the game, that's the most important thing, if I have zero or 15 points in the fourth quarter,” Doncic said, per Brad Townsend of Dallas Morning News.
Luka Doncic is right, though. The Clippers' defense focused on him in the final quarter, so it was only natural his scoring was limited. What it did, however, is open up the floor for the other Mavs to score and keep the team ahead until the buzzer sounded.
Jalen Brunson was big for Dallas in the closing period, scoring nine of the team's 27 points in the quarter. Tim Hardaway Jr. made five on his way to 21 points, while Kristaps Porzingis chipped in seven after scoring just eight points in the first 36 minutes of play.
The Mavs have certainly proven their depth as they hold on to beat the Clippers. As for Luka, he just showed that he can make an impact in a variety of ways beyond just putting the ball in the basket.
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