Amid a seven-game winning streak, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, climbing up the Western Conference standings. Last week, Doncic was brutally honest about the Mavericks’ defense. Doncic says it’s factored into one of the top reasons Dallas has stretched its streak to seven straight.
The Mavericks’ commitment to defending at a high level has led to their tie with the Houston Rockets (16-8) for third place in the West. Doncic listed the other top reasons, per Fansided’s Noah Weber.
“Just great defense, great pace, sharing the rock, and chemistry is the top,” Doncic said. “Just playing hard, playing fun, and that’s what we got to do.”
The Mavericks have undoubtedly found their stride. They’re 11-1 in their last 12 games. Doncic is averaging 28.7 points on 45% shooting, 8.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game this season.
Luka Doncic on improvements ‘people don’t see’
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) during the second quarter at Scotiabank Arena
Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
When Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks were reportedly conducting offseason workouts in Los Angeles, you got the sense the Western Conference champion would get off to a strong start — nearly every teammate, including newly acquired shooting guard Klay Thompson, showed up. After the Mavericks defeated the Toronto Raptors 125-118, the defense was what Doncic wanted to discuss most.
Instead of waiting for a reporter to bring it up, Doncic did it himself.
“Somebody is gonna ask about my defense? Woah,” Doncic said with a smile on his face. “I’m trying. This season has been one of the best defensive seasons. I know people don’t see it. But I’m trying, and I’ll just get better.”
However, Doncic isn’t taking all of the credit. It’s a group effort for the Mavs, and he’s seeing the impact of his team’s newfound approach.
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“Just overall,” Luka said. “A little bit of everything, more energy. That’s it.”
Still, Doncic says the Mavericks are still a work in progress as they navigate through the first quarter of the 2024-25 campaign.
“I think we still got a lot of improvement,” Doncic added. “But we’ve been defending, I think, big time… I think we still got a lot of room left (to improve).”
Doncic recorded a triple-double (30 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists) against the Raptors. Kyrie Irving added 29 points and six rebounds, and Klay Thompson finished with 20 points. The Mavericks will look to extend their winning streak to eight against the team with the best record in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in Tuesday’s quarterfinal matchup of the NBA Cup.