Suns, Mavericks React to Monster Luka Doncic Performance
PHOENIX -- The latest installment of Luka Doncic vs everybody in The Valley has officially seen the dust settle - and man, what a performance.
With the entire country watching on Christmas Day, Doncic became the fourth player on NBA Christmas Day history to score 50+ points.
He also crossed the 10,000 point threshold of his career early in the first quarter.
When the damage was done, Doncic finished 15 assists to go along with six rebounds, four steals and three blocks.
After the game, Doncic spoke with reporters on the historic night:
(On how 50 points feels…)
“I mean, great. I always said they were going to make a run and so we needed to make a run. I told the guys that we just have to stay together and that is what we did. It is a great win.”
(On how much pleasure he takes with this performance, given the rivalry with the Suns…)
“It is great. I love playing in this environment. Especially away. It is fun for me. When you make a shot, the whole gym is quiet so, that is the best feeling in the world.”
(On how he was feeling after his play that got him 10,000 career points…)
“It was a catch-and-shoot so, I was really happy. Like I told you before the season, I was working on my catch-and shoot.”
Others reacted to his performance, too.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd:
“I think one, congratulations on getting the 10,000 points, that’s pretty cool and pretty fast. But also, on Christmas to be in the likes of Bernard King, Wilt (Chamberlain), Rick Berry, to score 50 on Christmas so it’s pretty cool. And then with a stat line – I think we talked about it offline about his defense and the things that he’s doing – to come up with blocks and steals tonight was big.”
Mavericks' Derrick Jones Jr.:
“I guess it helps when he trusts his teammates as much as he does. When we play and get downhill and make plays for others and do what we’re supposed to do, it makes our job a lot easier. They can’t help as much, and they can’t leave everybody to go double like they want to. Then it gives him those one-on-ones situations and we all know how he thrives with those one-on-one situations. Luka with anybody guarding him, I’m living with it.”
Suns' Grayson Allen:
"Night like tonight, we have a pretty good all-around offensive night from everybody, and a guy scores 50. Part of that is hats off to Luka (Doncic), our gameplan was throwing different bodies, doubling, throwing different looks at him. He got hot with his step-back threes, carved us up with some passing early and it made it really difficult to guard for the rest of the game."
Suns' Frank Vogel:
"In terms of offensively, we were stopping them in the fourth, so we’re taking the ball out of the basket and double-teaming Luka (Doncic), they were hurting us and when we weren’t double teaming him, he was hurting us as well and I think that took us out of our rhythm.”
Suns' Kevin Durant:
"He does this every game. he controls the whole game. Passes. Rebounds. Scores. We kind of expect this from him now, right?"
