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Luka Doncic is taking over the NBA, as expected. With the Mavericks taking care of business against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Luka is inching closer towards his first trip to the NBA Finals, especially after the Mavs took a commanding 3-1 series lead at the expense of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But while Doncic makes some of the best head-turning plays, a part of his game is his ability to thrive in the clutch. Let's rank Luka Doncic's 10 most clutch moments.
10. A lob for a dagger alley-oop
LUKA DONCIC TO DANIEL GAFFORD FOR THE DAGGER ALLEY-OOP 🤯🔥 pic.twitter.com/BauG3V5PfC
— Hoops Nation (@_HoopsNation) May 27, 2024
With the Mavericks holding a six-point lead in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, they knew a shot would ice the game for good. With the ball in Doncic's hands, the Mavericks did what they had to do.
As the defense collapsed on the MVP candidate, a timely lob to Daniel Gafford sealed the deal, especially with an additional bonus free throw for the commanding 3-0 series lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2024 Western Conference Finals.
9. A 3-point hook shot in the clutch
Hook shots are usually done close to the basket. However, when Luka Magic is turned on, anything can happen. Despite facing against two defenders with the game tied, Doncic managed to get enough space for a crazy hook shot that found its way through the net. Thanks to this shot, the Mavericks escaped with a 125-120 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in the 2023-24 season.
8. Timely three to extend the game
The Los Angeles Lakers pretty much did a good job defensively against Doncic in the fourth quarter by holding him scoreless. Unfortunately, Luka decided to score in the best time possible for the Mavericks.
Down by three, coming off a timeout, Doncic's signature crossover and step back three went in to extend the game to overtime. The Lakers and Mavericks engaged in two overtime periods before the latter escaped with a 119-115 win.
7. Forcing overtime
Doncic wasn't keen on losing to the New York Knicks. Down by two and only a free throw left with four seconds remaining, Doncic gambled by missing his own free throw.
The miss found its way to Doncic's hands en route to a short stab to extend the game to overtime. The Mavs superstar also had a big night, producing 60 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists in the overtime victory in the 2022-23 season.
6. Game-tying three with less than a second remaining
Luka Doncic knows how to make the most impossible shots. With just 0.6 seconds remaining, Doncic pulled off the impossible by quickly triggering a fadeaway 3-pointer in the corner to extend the game to overtime against the Blazers. Although the Mavericks still lost that game 121-118, Doncic finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
5. Floater three for the win
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Doncic often resorts to his signature step back 3-pointer. But when the Memphis Grizzlies closed the door on him, Doncic decided to move forward and hit an insane floater from beyond the arc for the win in 2021. Of course, floaters are usually done near the hoop. However, Luka Magic is just built different.
4. Game winner over two defenders
Defending Doncic one-on-one puts the opposing team in a disadvantage, especially with the game on the line. As a result, the Boston Celtics placed two defenders on him in the clutch in this February 2021 game.
Unfortunately for them, Doncic was just feeling it in the clutch. The Mavs came away with a victory despite Jaylen Brown's clutch layup with 9.5 seconds remaining. That's just enough time remaining for Luka to setup his signature step back three.
3. Three defenders? No problem for Luka Doncic
Not only did Doncic hit a game winner over the Celtics once, but he has done it twice. In fact, even when the Celtics threw three defenders at Doncic, they still came away with a loss. With the game tied, it was another Doncic step-back three that handed the Celtics a loss. It's safe to say that Doncic loves breaking the hearts of the Celtics.
2. Game winner over the DPOY
Luka Doncic with the GAME-WINNING DAGGER over DPOY Gobert! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/77chfsJv2Q
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) May 25, 2024
Down by two with a chance to go up 2-0 in the 2024 Western Conference Finals, Doncic found himself being defended by no other than the Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.
Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, Doncic was unfazed as he danced with Gobert. Gobert couldn't keep up as Doncic set up his signature step-back, which gave Dallas the lead with three seconds remaining in the game, as they inched closer to the NBA Finals.
1. Buzzer-beating win inside the NBA Bubble
There's no doubt that Luka Doncic loves to shine bright in moments that matter the most. Even inside the NBA Bubble, Doncic was ready to win. Down by one with a few seconds to go, Doncic resorted to his signature step-back three at the buzzer to lift the Mavericks against the Clippers in Game 4 of the first-round series. It was arguably the shot that cemented Doncic's stardom.
