Doncic set a franchise record with 73 points and the Mavericks beat the Hawks 148-143.
ATLANTA (AP) — Dallas coach Jason Kidd wasn’t worried that Luka Doncic’s shooting would disrupt the game plan.
“He’s the game plan,” Kidd said.
Doncic scored 73 points, a new franchise record and also the fourth-most in NBA history, to lead the Mavericks to a 148-143 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
The Slovenian star broke her personal and franchise record of 60 points after scoring a team-high 41 points in the first half. Only Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant scored more points than Doncic per game.
His record-setting night came just four days after Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid scored a franchise-record 70 points, then his highest this season, in the 76ers’ win over San Antonio on Monday. with a score of 133-123.
Doncic insisted the win, not the points, was the main reason to celebrate that night as the Hawks gave him extra attention without slowing him down.
“You have to keep playing and trust your teammates,” he said.
A 3-point play with 2:58 left put Doncic at 70 points. With Dallas leading 140-136, Doncic capped his night with another three-point play.
Facing the team that drafted him in 2018, Doncic joined Chamberlain and David Thompson among players with 73 points per game. Chamberlain, who holds the NBA record with 100 points in a game, was also productive with 78 points, and Bryant eventually added 81 on January 22, 2006.
The Mavericks took advantage of Doncic’s strong play to snap their three-game losing streak, handing the Hawks their fourth straight loss. Doncic made 25 of 33 field goals, 8 of 13 three-pointers and 15 of 16 free throws.
The field goals made also set another personal best.
Trae Young led Atlanta with 30 points, including a 3-pointer with five seconds left that cut Dallas’ lead to 146-143. Jalen Johnson added 25 points and Bogdan Bodanovic finished with 24 points.