Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic added his name to a pair of lists featuring some of the game’s legends while lighting up the Suns on Christmas night.
Doncic entered Monday’s contest only 11 points shy of 10,000 for his career. He hit the milestone in the first quarter and did so in the fewest games of any player since Michael Jordan. He finished the outing by becoming only the fourth player in NBA history with a 50-point performance in a Christmas Day game, leading the Mavericks to a 128-114 win.
“Always, when this kind [of] award comes with a win, it’s even more fun,” said Doncic, who also tallied 15 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks.
“It was a tough road game, and we won. So, outside of the 10K and 50 points, we won the game. So, I’m really happy.”
Doncic joined Bernard King, Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry in scoring 50 on Christmas. It was the sixth 50-point performance of Doncic’s career, trailing only Jordan (nine) and LeBron James (eight) for the most by any player before turning 25 years old since the ABA-NBA merger, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Doncic reached the 10,000-point plateau in only 358 games, matching Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo for the seventh-fewest games needed to do so. Chamberlain needed only 236 games to score 10,000 points, the fewest in NBA history. The others who scored 10,000 in fewer contests than Doncic are Jordan, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson and George Gervin.
At 24 years, 300 days old, Doncic is the sixth-youngest player to eclipse 10,000 points, behind James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and Tracy McGrady.
Doncic passed 10,000 points when he swished a 34-foot 3-pointer at the 4:52 mark of the first quarter. It was his longest field goal of the season, according to ESPN Stats & Info data. He finished 15-of-25 from the floor, 8-of-16 from 3-point range and 12-of-12 from the free throw line.
Doncic accounted for 26 points in the first quarter, scoring 17 points and dishing out four assists. The Suns scored only 24 points in the quarter.
Doncic was booed when he took the Footprint Center floor for his warmup routine 90 minutes before Monday’s tip and every time he touched the ball early in the game. He exchanged trash talk with fans throughout his spectacular performance.
“I love playing in these environments, especially away,” Doncic said. “It’s fun for me. When you make a shot, the whole gym is quiet, so that’s the best feeling in the world.”
