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Mavs phenom Luka Doncic blew the NBA away last season. The 20-year-old Slovenian played with poise and maturity beyond his years and ran away with the Rookie of the Year award. Throughout the season, there were plenty of times when Doncic made viewers gasp with his shotmaking ability and now-famous stepback. Here's a look at his top five plays of the 2018-19 season.
December 15, 2018: Touchdown to Dennis Smith Jr.
Everybody was so blown away by Luka Doncic's passing ability that it is easy to forget how good a passer he is. Doncic put his uncanny passing accuracy on display in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. After the Mavs won a jump ball, the forward almost immediately tossed the ball nearly the full length of the court to a streaking Dennis Smith Jr. The pass was on the money, and Smith Jr. got an easy dunk. Thanks to Doncic, the Mavericks sealed the victory by going up 11 with less than a minute left in the game.
November 3o, 2018: Denying the King
All eyes were on the “Wonder Boy” as he and his team traveled to Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James. Mavericks fans were in for an early treat as Luka Doncic submitted a highlight play against the King in the first quarter.
James appeared to be wide open under the rim on a sharp cut. He went up for a layup. Doncic swatted him not once, but twice, when James gathered his own miss and went up again. After Deandre Jordan gathered the blocked shot, he threw the ball to Doncic, who promptly swished a three in transition. It was quite a moment for the then-19-year-old against an NBA legend.
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December 23, 2018: Last-Gasp Three in Portland
The Mavericks looked dead in the water at the Moda Center, down three to the Blazers with under a second left. Dallas turned to Luka Doncic, and he rewarded the Mavs. The rookie received the inbounds pass while streaking towards the corner, and put up a desperation three with Al Farouq Aminu draped all over him. The shot rattled through, and the Mavericks were given a second life in overtime. Although they lost in OT, Doncic showed he would be the man to turn to with the game on the line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvzGH2FpMTs
January 12, 2019: Putting the T'Wolves Away
Besides having a ridiculous dunk over Taj Gibson and Karl-Anthony Towns, Luka Doncic had a stretch in the last minute and a half of this game that proved he has ice water in his veins. In the span of 90 seconds, Doncic had a floater, a layup, the aforementioned poster dunk, and a deep three to ensure the Mavericks came away with a tough victory on the road. It might have been the most impressive closing stretch of his rookie season.
March 14, 2019: Game-Winning Dunk in Denver
Superstars love to silence opposing crowds. This is exactly what Luka Doncic did against the Denver Nuggets with a ferocious game-winning dunk. With the Mavs down one and only 10 seconds left, Doncic put his head down and drove straight down the lane at Mason Plumlee. He finished the drive with a thunderous and-one dunk over Paul Millsap, shocking the crowd at the Pepsi Center.
