Not in the best health and having to endure the pain of playing with a sore knee, Luka Doncic was immediately placed by the medical team with a large ice pack on his right knee. At this time, there are still more than 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter of the match between Dallas Mavericks and LA Clippers.
Treatment is rarely performed on the bench, but this time was different. Luka Doncic just completed a performance of 35 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds, closing with an and-1 scoring phase to extend the score to 104-74.
Without Doncic’s leadership anymore, the Dallas Mavericks went straight to an incredibly gentle victory with a score of 123-93 against the LA Clippers, taking a 3-2 lead in the first round series between the two teams.
Overcoming a cold that lasted nearly a week plus the knee injury he suffered in Game 3, Luka Doncic was determined to go on the field to fight with his teammates.
“This is the NBA Playoffs, which gives me personally a lot of adrenalin, a lot of emotions. If it was just the Regular Season, I would rest for one match, but this is the Playoffs and I don’t want to sit on the sidelines and watch my teammates fight ,” Doncic shared after the match.
Highlights of Luka Doncic’s 35 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds match in Game 5
Even though he wasn’t in the best shape and still had to endure pain on the field, Luka still delivered an impressive performance. The third quarter was his most explosive time with 14 points and 3 assists in almost the entire 12 minutes of play (only sitting out for 8 seconds), contributing to extending the gap from 56-46 to 89-69.
It is impossible to ignore the defensive aspect, which is making Doncic the best player in the series between the Dallas Mavericks and LA Clippers. In Game 5, the Clippers only achieved a performance of 3-12 FG (including 0-7 3PT) when Luka Doncic was the main defender.
Luka Doncic is currently the 5th player in NBA history to have at least 20 Playoffs matches scoring over 30 points before turning 25. The remaining four names include LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Jayson Tatum.
Kyrie Irving, after witnessing Luka Doncic explode, praised and showed respect for his teammate: “One thing I can confirm is that Luka is very stubborn. Regardless of his pain or health, he will definitely not sit out important matches.
For me, this is something I always respect. I always feel grateful and happy to have such a teammate by my side. He is both intelligent, enthusiastic and highly determined.”
The result of Game 5 helped the Dallas Mavericks get closer to the ticket to the Western semi-finals. They are only 1 win away from this goal.
Meanwhile, the LA Clippers will face elimination in Game 6 on Dallas’ field. Coach Tyronn Lue’s team needs to shock their spirits and find a solution to neutralize Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in the next match.
Game 6 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs series between the Dallas Mavericks and LA Clippers will take place at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 4.
