By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After missing one game due to a right knee contusion, Luka Doncic bounced back with 26 points for the Dallas Mavericks in a comfortable win, 132-91, over the New Orleans Pelicans in American Airlines Center on Tuesday.
The Slovenian sensation lasted 29 minutes, made 10/16 field goals, including three triples, dished out five assists, grabbed five rebounds, recorded three steals, and blocked one shot. In addition, he had tape on his right wrist during the postgame press conference.
“I don’t know, honestly. I started feeling it in the first quarter. Then it got worse. But nothing serious,” he downplayed the injury.
Kyrie Irving chipped in 18 points and seven assists. “I get to see that every day. It is still amazing,” Doncic praised his teammate, “It’s just unbelievable. Even in practice, you can see some of this stuff he does in the games.”
Besides the Mavs jumping to 8-7 in the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season and 1-1 in Group C of the Western Conference of the Emirates NBA Cup, he is also following the senior national team of Slovenia on a quest to punch in a ticket to next summer’s EuroBasket via the Qualifiers.
“I am excited to watch them. I wanted to be part of that but obviously I can’t,” he referred to approaching matchups versus Portugal in Almada on Friday and Koper on Monday.
German teammate, Maxi Kleber tallied two points, six rebounds, and two blocks against the Pels.
For the shorthanded visitors, Croatian Karlo Matkovic registered seven minutes without getting on the stat line and German Daniel Theis did not play.