Historic Debut: Dončić and Irving Set Record with 338 Points in First Playoff Series Together….
Dallas Mavericks stars Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving have catapulted into the NBA history books by scoring a staggering 338 points combined in their first playoff series together. This record-breaking performance has set a new benchmark for scoring by a duo in their playoff debut, showcasing their dominance on the basketball court.
The Mavericks, who faced stiff competition in the first round, benefited enormously from the offensive onslaught provided by Dončić and Irving. Throughout the series, both players displayed exceptional skill, coordination, and basketball IQ, which not only led to their record-setting total but also helped secure their team’s advancement to the next round of the playoffs.
Basketball analysts and fans alike have been astounded by the synergy between Dončić and Irving, who joined forces earlier in the season. Their combined efforts have turned the Mavericks into a formidable force in the postseason, with expectations now running high for the remainder of their playoff campaign.
In the historic series, Dončić and Irving each had moments of brilliance, with scoring sprees that often left their opponents struggling to keep pace. Their performance has sparked discussions around their place among the greatest duos in NBA history, given their immediate impact and explosive scoring capability.
As the Mavericks gear up for their next playoff challenge, all eyes will be on Dončić and Irving to see if they can maintain their high-scoring performances and lead their team deeper into the postseason. The NBA community and Mavericks fans are eagerly anticipating what this record-setting duo will do next.
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Why Luka Doncic’s mysterious knee injury will doom Mavericks vs. Thunder
Should the Mavericks be concerned about Luka Doncic’s health?
The most concerning part of Game 1 was the fact that Luka did not look right all game long. Aside from favoring his right leg at times, Doncic simply looked out of gas. His knee injury is certainly the talk of the town in Dallas right now, and whether or not he can strengthen himself between games will play a major role in deciding who advances to the Western Conference Finals.
Luka Doncic discusses knee injury after Game 1
Tuesday night marked just the third time in Doncic’s career that he failed to score at least 20 points in a playoff game. Entering Game 1, he had scored 20 or more points in 24 straight playoff games. Perhaps this was a mix of Doncic’s injury coming into play on a night in which he simply did not have it shooting the basketball, as he went just 1-of-8 from three-point range, marking the third time in the last four games he has failed to make more than one triple.
Then again, Luka’s knee concerns continue to grow, especially after he didn’t seem too optimistic in his postgame remarks.
“It’s just hurting,” Doncic said, via Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “Less mobility. Less explosiveness when I’m driving the ball. But it’s about the same. These days gave me a little more time to rest, a little more time to rehab.”
Still, Doncic is not going to make this series about his shooting struggles or those stemming from his injury.
“Who cares? We lost,” Doncic stated. “We just gotta move on to the next one. I gotta be better, we gotta be better… We gotta focus. They’re a great team, great defensive team, great offensive team. So it’s not going to be easy at all. We gotta play very good basketball and focused basketball for 48 minutes.”
Are Mavericks doomed vs. Thunder?
All across the board, the Thunder simply beat the Mavs in this first game. The fact that Doncic had a very poor offensive performance simply added to what was already a disaster for his team.
Now, the questions surrounding Doncic’s knee injury cast a lot of doubt on whether the Mavs have a chance to win this series against the Thunder. Adjustments will be made, and Kidd is going to put his team in a different position to try and find success. With this said, what else can the Mavs truly do if Doncic is not 100 percent?
It may be a little premature to say that this series is over. The Thunder obviously have the early edge and home-court advantage, but the Mavs also lost Game 1 of their first-round series to the Clippers.
What happens in Game 2 will be the pivotal turning point of this series for either side. Regardless of if Doncic is severely hurt or not, he is going to need to step up and find a way to succeed in Oklahoma City because the Mavericks can’t operate without him. Teams that win Game 1 of a playoff series go on to win roughly 77 percent of the time. Teams that take a 2-0 series lead go on to win over 92 percent of the time.
A 0-2 deficit to the Thunder and Doncic continuing to struggle with a knee injury would almost be a death sentence for Dallas.
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