Luka Doncic gives brilliantly cold response to being booed by Suns crowd: "Best feeling in the world"
Luka Doncic had a stellar performance on Christmas Day and led the Dallas Mavericks past the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center (128-114). The Slovenian megastar went for an impressive double-double of 50 points and 15 assists, along with six rebounds and four steals, on 15-of-25 shooting from the field, including 8 of 16 from beyond the arc.
The Mavs and the Suns have built a rivalry over the past few years, especially after their last two battles in the playoffs. Thus, it didn't come as a surprise that Luka Doncic was booed by Phoenix fans during the game. However, the MVP candidate wasn't bothered by that.
"It's great. I love playing in these environments. It’s fun for me. When you make a shot, the whole gym is quiet. So that’s the best feeling in the world," he told media afterwards, via Landon Thomas of Mavs Fans for Life.
Following their victory, the Mavs extended their winning streak to two games and improved to 18-12 in the West. Meanwhile, the Suns lost their third in a row and dropped to 14-15.
Luka Doncic makes NBA history after surpassing 10,000 mark in career points
Luka Doncic didn't only lead the Dallas Mavericks to an impressive road win over the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day, he also made NBA history as he surpassed the 10,000 mark in career points.
Before the game, he needed just 11 points to do so, and he had already scored 17 in the opening quarter. Eventually, he scored 50 and became the seventh-fastest player to reach that milestone.
"When these awards come with a win, it is even more fun. It was a tough road game and we won. Outside of the 10,000 and 50 points, we won the game, so I am happy," Luka Doncic said afterwards, via Eurohoops.net.
The Slovenian megastar needed 358 games to reach the 10,000 career mark. He is considered one of the top players in the league and has been an MVP candidate since his second year in the NBA, back in 2019.
Doncic has yet to claim the award, however he has a good chance of winning it this year, especially if the Mavs have a deep playoff run and avoid a collapse similar to the one that cost them a spot in the postseason last year.
Luka Doncic has appeared in 28 games for Dallas so far, with averages of 33.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 9.4 apg, on 48.9% from the field and 38.7% from beyond the arc.
The Mavs will look to maintain a top four push and extend their winning streak to three games when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers (17-13) on Wednesday.