DALLAS – Sometimes it doesn’t matter who defends Luka Doncic. Case in point – or actually 42 points – Paul George, the LA Clippers superstar whose name always pops up in conversations about the NBA’s major perimeter stoppers. Doncic repeatedly ridiculed the four-time All-Defensive squad during his masterful performance in the Dallas Mavericks’ 105-89 win on Wednesday.
Doncic, who finished with 42 points on 16-of-28 shooting and nine assists, didn’t do all of his damage against George. Kawhi Leonard had no luck with him either. Neither is Nicolas Batum. Or anyone else who threw the Clippers at the 22-year-old All-Star. And it wasn’t because of a lack of effort.
“For the most part, defensively, I thought we had done well even though Luka had set us on fire,” said Clippers coach Ty Lue.
George got the worst of it. According to data from Second Synergy, half of Doncic’s points came when he was compared to George in the half lane. Doncic had 21 points on 15 shots – at an effective field goal percentage of 70% – and delivered five assists with no turnover under George’s watch.
“I thought we were playing a great defense,” said George, “but they hit some really, really tough shots and they made some really, really big plays.”
The piece that caused the most gasps was probably a miss by Doncic. If Doncic had dragged that particular step-back shot, it would have been a viral high in seconds, when he hit the brakes and crossed so suddenly that George stumbled to the hardwood and put both hands down to break his fall when Doncic shot.
It wasn’t as nasty as James Harden’s crossover and step-back jumper a few years ago, which caused former Clippers forward Wes Johnson to involuntarily take a seat in the middle of the court. But this was against Paul George, not some mate.
Doncic’s last bucket, a dagger driver with 1:27 left, came after another move that sent George’s hand to the ground to keep him from falling. It was a behind-the-back crossover on the right wing, where George stayed after regaining his balance and getting a nice view of Doncic finishing on the track.
“I’m not going to say anything about Paul George who might have slipped on the floor or something, but Luka is a great player,” said Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, emphasizing the respect he had for George and the Clippers. “He has the ability to make these stop-on-a-dime plays that are truly exceptionally special.”
There aren’t many answers for Doncic when he shoots efficiently from a 3-point range, which he has been doing on a regular basis lately. Doncic has shot 43% deep – and 50.5% from the floor overall – in his past 14 games, averaging 30.5 points and 9.2 assists over that period. It’s no coincidence that the Mavs (21-18) have won 11 of 14 games, returning to the Western Conference playoffs after falling five games below .500.
It’s no secret that Doncic wants to take long shots to the left, especially from the left wing. The Clippers (26-16) know that like no other, given that it is the shot and the spot of Doncic’s unforgettable buzzer beater over extending a 43-point triple-double in a bubble playoff win over them.
Still, Doncic was still 6-of-11 from three-point range on Wednesday, including a four-point play when he retired after stepping back, leaned forward and made contact with Leonard as he released the shot.
“Sometimes we let him go too far to the left, a step back, and he felt comfortable,” said Leonard. “He got hot and fired shots, and it’s hard to turn that water off once such a great player is rolling.”
ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this report.