INDIANAPOLIS — With 1:22 left in the first half, a Western Conference 3-point attempt failed and Luka Doncic, by chance, grabbed an offensive rebound on the bounce.
The Mavericks superstar's ensuing slow-motion layup earned him his first points of the night. It was emblematic of the mediocre nature of another easy-going Doncic All-Star performance in the East's 211-186 victory over the West at the 73rd NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night. Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Anyone who expected Doncic to use the NBA's biggest non-playoffs stage to put his name more prominently in the conversation for the season-ending Most Valuable Player award knew he intended to be more aggressive offensively. All five All-Star appearances (as was the case in this case).
“People come here and play 40 minutes. They don't want to get hurt,” Doncic said. “Everyone just runs out of the way. I don't know how to fix it. I just follow its lead.”
Doncic's “highlight” of the night was an uncontested third-quarter dunk that gave him four points and cut the East lead to 127-105 with seven points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Please don't hate. Doncic has only completed one dunk as a Maverick this season.
Immediately after the dunk, Doncic missed an attempt at the rim and later sheepishly told TNT during a timeout: I don't dunk, guys. ”
After the game, Doncic said with a laugh: “I was tired the second time.”
Considering Doncic is averaging a career-high 37.4 minutes while averaging an NBA-best 34.2 points per game, and has been a mainstay for a Mavericks team that has been hit by injuries for much of the season, he has 23 points on the court. It may have been common sense to take a rest, even if it was only for a minute. Sunday time.
Doncic is a five-time All-Star but has yet to reach double-digit scoring, totaling 35 points. In other words, he will score one point more than his average this season.
In contrast, Doncic said: Everyone you see. Players sharing a locker room. It's an incredible feeling. ”
Fortunately for the Mavericks organization and fans, rookie center Derek Lively II played in Friday's Panini Rising Stars game, attended as much of the weekend's festivities as he could, and attended both Dallas representatives. It gave me more than enough fun.
In fact, Doncic was more excited about meeting Lively than anything he did personally over the weekend.
“He's a really great kid,” Doncic said. “He listens to what everyone has to say and never complains. And on the court he looks like he's been in this league for 10 years already, so it's great to have him on our team.” I'm glad.”
Doncic, who turns 25 in nine days, is arguably one of the NBA's brightest stars, but when it comes to the All-Star Game, he's not content to let other players shine.
Naturally, the center of attention this weekend was on 39-year-old Lakers superstar LeBron James, who made his record-breaking 20th All-Star appearance.
James was asked before Sunday's game whether he thought his potential successor would become the face of the NBA, a role he accepted several years after Michael Jordan's retirement.
“We have a great home in the league right now with a great group of players who play great basketball and are great off the floor,” he said. “But I think it's wrong to just say, “Okay, this person will be the next face.''
“You've got to let it happen naturally and see what happens. But there are great, great players in this league who can carry anything when they want to, if they feel like it.”
As he has done after his last four All-Star Game appearances, Doncic will seek to get as much rest as possible by staying out of public view until the Mavericks' season resumes Thursday with a home game against Phoenix.
Dallas' record is 32-23, the same as it was in 2020-2021, when they went 52-30 through 65 games and reached the Western Conference Finals.
This Mavericks team has won six straight games and is 3-0 since acquiring Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington. It remains to be seen whether this team can gel as seamlessly over the final 27 games of the regular season as the 21-22 team did after the additions of Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.
Conversely, last year's team finished with 38 wins and 44 losses, missing out on the playoffs despite acquiring Kyrie Irving in February. Will that add to the strain for this season's stretch run?
“Every year is important,” Doncic said. “We want to win the championship every year. That's why we have the same goal every year. We need to get through the second half of the season with good motivation because I think our team is a really good team.”
Perhaps it was rookie optimism or the excitement of his first All-Star Weekend, but Lively believes the Mavericks have the attention of Western Conference contenders. Told.
“I feel like we’re the dark horse that no one wants to pay attention to, but we’re in the back of their minds,” he said.
Read more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
