Watch: Luka Doncic splits Clippers defense with ease for easy layup
The marquee matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and LA Clippers was much awaited by many, but it turned out to be another Luka Doncic magic show. The Slovenian superstar has been hot all throughout the game as the Mavericks mount a commanding lead in the game.
At the 8:18 mark of the first quarter, the Mavs found themselves down by nine points early in the game with 14-5. In an effort to spark the team, Doncic brought the ball to the elbow and wanted to run a pick-and-roll with Derek Lively II.
Right before the pick was set, Doncic went to work before the double-team sets up, putting the ball between his legs from behind to break Paul George and Ivica Zubac.
From there, it was an open lane to the basket for the four-time NBA All-Star for a layup with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard just looking on.
The game was out of reach by the last three minutes third quarter as the Mavericks mounted a 32-point lead. At this point, Luka Doncic already has 42 points, six rebounds and six assists to lead the team while Kyrie Irving added 23 points to pad up the already huge lead.
Luka Doncic sees Derek Lively II as a huge x-factor for the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks missed the NBA Western Conference Play-In Tournament last year and it resulted in an early summer for the team. The silver lining was the chance to draft Derek Lively II as the No. 12 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, and it has already paid well for the Mavs.
After playing his first seven games, Lively missed the Mavs matchup with the Toronto Raptors and the team suffered their second loss of the season. During the press conference, Luka Doncic pointed out that the team missed the services of the former Duke Blue Devil after missing just one game:
"You guys and me and our team know how important [Lively] is for us," Doncic said. "It's only his rookie season. The ceiling for him, it's so big. So, of course, we miss him in any games he will miss, as you can see."
In seven games, the 19-year-old rookie has averaged 9.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.1 asstsis and 1.0 blocks.
The Dallas Mavericks, after their game with the LA Clippers, will battle the New Orleans Pelicans twice at the Smoothie King Center on Nov. 12 and 14. They fly out east afterwards to complete a four-game road trip against the Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks.