Watch: Luka Doncic sinks unreal Steph Curry-esque shot from stands ahead of Mavericks vs Rockets clashÂ
Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic dazzled even before he took the floor against the Houston Rockets on Thursday at the American Airlines Center, draining a long-distance, Steph Curry-esque shot from near the tunnel.
In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Dallas-area reporter Joey Mistretta, "The Don" is shown pulling up for a shot from the stands, near the tunnel, and draining it. It sent the crowd into celebration as Doncic jogged back toward the hallway leading to their dugout.
Check out the video below.
In the game, Luka Doncic and the Mavericks had a tough time against the Rockets. They were down by double-digits in the first three quarters before they made a ferocious charge-back in the fourth quarter.
They managed to bring down their deficit to just three points, 103-100, with 1:08 to go following a Doncic 3-pointer. Houston, however, did not allow them to come any closer as it held on with timely baskets to capture the 108-102 win.
Doncic had a team-high 29 points, with Kyrie Irving adding 28 of his own. Klay Thompson, meanwhile, had 12. The defeat dropped the Mavericks to 3-2 for the season. They next play on Sunday at home against the Orlando Magic.
Luka Doncic stresses need for a strong start to the new season
The Dallas Mavericks broke through and made their way to the NBA Finals last season. Luka Doncic said the team needs to sustain the momentum from its postseason run and start the new season strong.
During media day last month, the five-time NBA All-Star said the Mavericks should not be satisfied with last season's success and must keep pushing themselves to reach the championship.
Doncic said (via The Dallas Morning News):
"We're not joking around. Like I said, we've worked hard. The new guys that came here here have shown they can play. They can help us. So the one thing is we've got to play hard. That's it."
The Mavericks had an impressive playoff run last season, reaching the NBA Finals as the fifth seed out in the West. They, however, fell to the Boston Celtics in five games in the championship series.
To help it in its campaign this season, the team brought in new faces, including four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson, who brings additional leadership and clutch shooting.
Prior to their 108-102 loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday, Luka Doncic and the Mavericks had won three of their first four matches of the season.