Luka Doncic is
terrific
.
This is obvious.
And Luka Doncic (partly because he is terrific, although there is always an
extra factor
with players like him) has a
star
.
We also know this because we well lived it while it gave the first stretch in Spain.
When he's on the track, anything can happen in part
because he believes anything can happen.
There
is an element of unconsciousness, of pure faith, that pushes sports beyond numbers and logic.
Fortunately.
It happens when you least expect it, and when nobody expected it happened in Memphis: the Mavericks won 113-114 in one of the great miracles of the season.
And thanks to an incredible basket, going forward and out of time, from Doncic.
That he took it as usual, with happiness and without giving it much
thought
: "
I was falling and couldn't even look at the ring, so I was very lucky, but it's worth it. I was surprised that the shot came in, that feeling is the best
" .
WOW WOW WOW !!!!!
Cmon @ luka7doncic you ain't serious man !!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
- LeBron James (@KingJames) April 15, 2021
But it is that, to top it all, the complete sequence gives more unreality at the end of the game, a terribly hard defeat for the Grizzlies, who had worked like little ants to put in the bag a game in which they always commanded and were more serious ... but in which they never made a real breach.
And it's true that Doncic made a ridiculous basket, and six points in 25 seconds, but also that the Grizzlies lost because of their sins.
That's right: at 111-106, Porzingis scored, Doncic blocked a forced penetration by Ja Morant with both hands and scored later, with 25 seconds remaining: 111-110 and ball for the Grizzlies.
After a quick foul, two free throws by Morant and 113-110.
And Doncic lacks strategic to avoid the triple.
With just three seconds left on the clock, the Slovenian scored the first (113-111) and shot desperately to miss the second.
But the Grizzlies closed the rebound and
Grayson Allen (had 23 points, 6 triples and a 3/3 from the personnel line) went to the free throw line to close the victory
.
The first one failed.
He could still secure the extension, as a lesser evil.
But he also missed the second and committed
the great sin: he
gave Doncic two seconds.
And he won the game in a circus play, of despair, of faith.
Star.
Ya'll.
pic.twitter.com/Da233Lo5Rj
- Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 15, 2021
I keep watching this @ luka7doncic shot and it keeps getting more and more insane ... pic.twitter.com/pvrh9k4yKS
- Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) April 15, 2021
Luka Doncic hit this for the win.
Unreal.
🤯 pic.twitter.com/Zlwn7ZX7gc
- ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 15, 2021
The thing is that, in addition, the game was important.
The Mavs (now 30-24 and so happy) were coming off two ugly losses.
And they had fitted the third, almost
officially
,
until Doncic rescued her from somewhere that was already only in his head
.
Okay, be careful, to put two and a half ahead of the Grizzlies themselves (27-26) who also take the hand in the event of a tiebreaker (2-0 with a pending game).
And
to get closer to the Blazers (to one game) and not lose sight of the Lakers
, who are three and a half ahead of the Texans but there is a double duel in sight, in Dallas and maybe even without Anthony Davis (and almost sure without LeBron James).
So a
ridiculous
, almost impossible-to-explain shot from Doncic turned a hint of depression and an increasingly secure
play-in
ticket
into a sixth-place (and direct playoff) push in the offing.
Rick Carlisle explained it like this: “
You win with a miracle like that once every very long time ... Luka made one of those trademark shots, one of those special baskets that we will be watching for a long time
.” And he made it clear that he no longer Almost nothing surprises with his star: "
I don't know how many thousands of dollars he has won me in betting on midfield shots ... once, in Mexico, I paid him in pesos because he was angry.
I don't bet with him anymore
. "As soon as Allen missed his free throws, the feeling fell over the game that
there was a reason
Doncic was going to have a bullet left. That
something
was going to happen
. And that there wasn't. It was one of his big nights, far from it.
He finished with 29 points and 9 assists and was 2/9 on 3s before making the last, so unorthodox.
The Mavs didn't play at all to show off, with Porzingis churning out more numbers. (21 + 6) what an impact, the irregular shooters and Jalen Brunson (8 + 8 + 9) playing again transcendental minutes to keep the Mavs alive in Doncic's rest sections. Without improving their feelings much, Carlisle's were They gave a shot of adrenaline and energy that has no other explanation than Doncic,
the player without explanation.
And the Grizzlies? They will spend days wondering how they lost.
They did everything to win, with sparks from Morant (17 + 5 assists), the tireless work of rocky Valanciunas (19 and 15 rebounds) and points from Brooks and Bane splitting the Mavs defense.
But they failed when only free throws had to be made.
Or stop one last shot, or simply cross your fingers so that a
churro
does not air them
.
And they lost.
Because they gave Doncic an extra life.
Who would think.