Luka Doncic, Mavs Use ‘Great Lesson’ to Keep Postseason Hopes Alive

Coming off of a four-game losing skid, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks got the job done against the Indiana Pacers with their backs against the wall.

How far would an NBA team be willing to go to keep its postseason hopes alive? 

Maybe it would rush back an injured star who, under normal circumstances, wouldn’t have been slated to return for another couple of weeks. Maybe it would file an official protest after a crushing two-point loss with blame placed on officials.

Or … perhaps the team would simply resort to utilizing a little "Luka Magic" late in the third quarter of a must-win road game. That method proved more effective than the former two on Monday night.

While the Dallas Mavericks’ game against the Indiana Pacers wasn’t technically a “win-or-go-home” scenario, it sure seemed that way.

Coach Jason Kidd’s squad entered Monday's contest with a four-game losing streak and holding the 11th seed in the huddled Western Conference — one spot outside of the NBA's play-in tournament. 

Mavs star Luka Doncic hasn’t been able to stay healthy lately, and he nearly missed Monday’s game due to a 16th technical that got rescinded prior to the game. Kyrie Irving has also been hobbled in recent games after re-aggravating a foot injury.

But regardless of the uphill battle it faced, Dallas entered the Circle City and came out with a cohesive win against the Pacers — in blowout fashion. 

"The guys came out from the jump ball and executed both defensively and offensively," Kidd said following his team's 127-104 victory. "Once we got control of the game ... I thought [they] did a great job of building the lead and keeping the lead." 

The Mavs did not have control of the game the entire time, however. 

After a competitive first quarter ended with close shot from Irving, Dallas held on to just a two-point lead headed to the second quarter. From there, rookie Jalen Hardy started the Mavs' scoring spree that spanned the entirety of the second and third quarters.

During those 24 minutes, Dallas outscored Indiana 70-47 and by the end of the game, Hardy had tallied 20 of those points in just 24 minutes off the bench — marking the sixth time in his last nine games. The rookie also led the team in 3-point efficiency, knocking down 4-of-6 from behind-the-arc.

"It was a good bounce-back game for him," Kidd said. "I thought he did a great job of being aggressive, but also looking for his teammates." 

While Hardy's impressive performance spoke to his teammates and coach, his effort was just one part of the Mavs' victory. It was made possible by arguably one of the team's most complete team efforts. 

Doncic scored a team-high 25 points, four of Dallas' players tallied a plus-minus greater than 20, six players scored double digits and the Mavs out-assisted the Pacers by nine — but according to the European superstar, the Mavs' dominance was not solely on offense. 

"Today was a great lesson," Doncic said. "When we can defend and shoot the ball, we can be very dangerous, so we have to build confidence [after] this one.

“[Our success] came from the defensive end. We were locked in, and then we shared the ball, so I think it was a great experience for us." 

And Doncic was right. What made the Mavs' win different from the previous four games they had lost was, in short ... everything. 

From assists to steals to blocks, and even 3-point percentage, Dallas outperformed itself in one game compared to the games that made up the recent losing skid. Most notably, however, was the shooting percentages — both inside and outside the arc — which saw stark increases.

Total field-goal percentage went from an average of 46 percent to 57 percent, while the Mavs' 3-point percentage went from an average of 35 percent to an impressive 49 percent against the Pacers. 

The bigger question immediately facing the Mavs now is how they will attempt to keep their success going against tougher opponents. Kidd kept it simple. 

"We're going to need the same effort that we had tonight," he said. 

With the win, Dallas improved to 37-39 — two games below .500 — and inched a half game closer to tying the OKC Thunder and LA Lakers for the West's coveted final play-in spots, which now serves as a team's last chance at making the playoffs.

The Mavs' next matchup comes against MVP-hopeful center Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, which will likely reveal a lot more about a Dallas team in search of the postseason. Once again, the Mavs will have their backs against the wall on the road. 

So how will the Mavs respond this time? Mavs fans got a treat on Monday, but with just a few games left on the schedule, they are about to find out more about their team's determination in the season’s final stretch. 

"It's about being relaxed and understanding of what's at stake," Kidd said. "Some of us haven't been in that position before, and I think you're starting to see the guys understand what that means ... and Kai and Luka — those two set the tone."

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