Dallas Mavericks vs. Atlanta Hawks
ATLANTA (AP) – Dallas coach Jason Kidd had no concerns that Luke Doncic's scoring prowess would disrupt the Mavericks' game plan.
“He’s the game plan,” Kidd said.
On a record-breaking night, it was a winning plan.
Doncic scored a franchise-record 73 points, tied for the fourth-most points in NBA history, surpassed only by Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant, to give the Mavericks a 148-143 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
HISTORIC 73 POINT NIGHT BY LUKA DONCIC
73 PTS
25/33 FGM (75.8%)
15/16 FTM
8 a.m. 3 p.mHe is the fourth player in NBA history to score 73+ points and the first ever to score 70+ while shooting 75% or better from the field. pic.twitter.com/Afm9cyJung
– NBA (@NBA) January 27, 2024
Doncic surpassed his personal best and team record of 60 points after scoring a team record 41 points in the first half.
His record-setting night came just four days after Philadelphia's Joel Embiid scored a franchise-record 70 points, then the most in the NBA this season, in the 76ers' 133-123 victory over San Antonio on Monday night.
This is the first time in NBA history that there were two 70+ appearances within the same week (previously: Wilt Chamberlain had both appearances 13 days apart, on November 3 and 16, 1962).
Joel Embiid vs. SAS: 70 points – January 22, 2024
Luka Doncic vs. ATL: 73 points – January 26, 2024 pic.twitter.com/KjsQhQR6FA— NBA History (@NBAHistory) January 27, 2024
Meanwhile, Doncic continued to look for his teammates and contribute more than just points. He grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and led the Mavericks with seven assists.
“The three assists are probably what he’s thinking about in the locker room to get a triple-double,” Kidd said.
Doncic insisted the win was the biggest reason to celebrate after overcoming the constant extra attention from the Atlanta defense.
“You have to keep playing and have faith in your teammates,” Doncic said.
A three-point play with 2:58 remaining gave Doncic 70 points. With Dallas leading 140-136, Doncic added another three-pointer to cap his night.
Against the team that drafted him in 2018, Doncic was among the players who scored 73 points, along with Chamberlain and David Thompson. Chamberlain, who holds the NBA record with 100 points, also had a 78-point game, while Bryant finished with 81 points.
“These names are special,” Doncic said. “It's incredible.”
Doncic's teammates doused him with a shower of water in the locker room as cheers could be heard from the hallway.
The Mavericks took advantage of Doncic's big play to end their three-game losing streak while also handing the Hawks their fourth straight loss. Doncic made 25 of 33 field throws, 8 of 13 three-pointers and 15 of 16 free throws. The field goals scored set another personal record.
“He was hot. He was on his way,” said Trae Young, who led Atlanta with 30 points. “We have tried everything. We tried to lure him into a trap.”
Josh Green scored 21 points for Dallas, but Doncic carried the offense.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Green said.
Young's 3-pointer with five seconds left cut Dallas' lead to 146-143. Jalen Johnson added 25 points and Bogdan Bogdanovic had 24 for Atlanta.
Doncic scored 23 points in the second quarter after opening with 18 points in the first.
Doncic, who is averaging 33.6 points, hit a 3-pointer with 4:48 left in the third quarter to reach a season-high 51 points. He then went for his career-high 60 points, also the Dallas record, set against the New York Knicks on December 27, 2022.
The Hawks had no answer for Doncic. Jalen Johnson opened as Atlanta's primary defender at the 6-foot-7 guard. Saddiq Bey, Dejounte Murray and others tried unsuccessfully to slow Doncic's high pace.
Doncic's milestone game came at his original NBA home — at least for a few minutes.
Doncic was selected by the Hawks with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft before his draft rights were traded to Dallas for Young with the No. 5 pick and a 2019 first-round pick used for the selection of Cam Reddish was used.
Doncic scored 41 points in the first half, setting a franchise record for points in each half. He made 17 of 22 field shots in the half, including 6 of 9 three-pointers.
The Mavericks' previous record for points in a half was 34 by Dirk Nowitzki in the second half against Utah on November 3, 2009.
Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving missed his second straight game with a sprained right thumb. He was injured on Monday against Boston.
Dallas forward Derrick Jones Jr. sprained his left wrist with 30 seconds left in the first half and did not return.
Young cleared concussion protocol after missing two games.
The return game between the teams, originally scheduled for April 5 in Dallas, has been postponed to April 4, the league announced Friday.