Luka Doncic was brilliant in Friday’s win at Houston, but a narrow victory on his 50-point night continues to raise concerns about the rest of the Mavericks‘ roster, writes Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic also had 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals, but Dallas needed his late 30-foot three-pointer to hold off a rally by the Rockets, who have the worst record in the West.
“Luka is Luka,” coach Jason Kidd said after the game. “He’s the best player in the world, and he showed that tonight.”
There are questions about whether that’s enough for Dallas to put together another long playoff run. Caplan notes that after holding a 61-50 lead at halftime, the Mavs were outscored 34-20 in the third quarter with Doncic getting 15 of those points. No other Dallas player topped 11 points on the night.
“Besides Luka, we didn’t have a really high percentage from the floor,” Kidd admitted. “But Luka sensed that and controlled the game.”
There’s more on the Mavericks:
- Christian Wood is now eligible for a four-year contract extension as Friday marked six months since he was acquired from Houston in a trade, Caplan points out in the same story. Wood can receive a new deal worth up to $77MM over four years any time before the start of free agency, but Caplan says it’s not clear what either side plans to do. Wood could opt for unrestricted free agency in July in hopes of landing more money, either from the Mavericks or another team, while Dallas could decide to use Wood’s expiring salary as a trade chip. Caplan suggests the Mavs may want to see how Wood performs in the playoffs before making a long-term commitment.
- Reggie Bullock left Friday’s game in the third quarter with a strained neck, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter). Caplan observed that Bullock was holding his head in his hands after the injury and appeared “woozy” as he walked to the locker room. With Josh Green, Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith already sidelined, Caplan said Dallas may be without its four best defensive players for the Christmas Day game against the Lakers.
- Kemba Walker will miss his second straight game Sunday due to injury recovery for his left knee (Twitter link). Caplan tweets that Kidd was trying to pace the veteran guard so he would be available to play on Christmas.
Ugly, but I bet Doncic still wins the game Vs Lakers.
Jason Kidd is a really good head coach and Luka Doncic is a great player but he’s not the best in the NBA.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the NBA. He dominates on both ends of the floor.
Woods and Reddish on the Lakers would be awesome. Beverly would be a pitch pick up for the Knicks.