The Dallas Mavericks finished last week with a 3-1 record, led by the impressive play of Luka Doncic. The Slovenian superstar received the Western Conference Player of the Week award after averaging 36.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 11.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 41.0 minutes per game.
Despite losing to the Denver Nuggets while trailing by 36 points, the shorthanded Mavs are still in the top 10 in ESPN’s latest NBA power rankings. The team continues to navigate a lengthy injury report that includes Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II, Josh Green, and Maxi Kleber. However, the excellence Doncic provides continues to power Dallas.
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“Luka Doncic might be playing the best basketball of his career at a time the injury-ravaged Mavericks desperately need him,” Tim MacMahon writes as ESPN moved the Mavs up from No. 10 to No. 9 in their rankings.
“He has broken his own franchise record by scoring at least 30 points in 11 consecutive games. He averaged 35.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 10.4 assists in 39.5 minutes per game during that stretch, carrying a massive burden with several key Mavs dealing with injuries, including the right heel contusion that has sidelined co-star Kyrie Irving since Dec. 8.
“One member of the supporting cast who has stepped up: Dante Exum, who has averaged 16.1 points and 4.6 assists as a starter over the past seven games to help Dallas go 5-2.”
The Mavs will continue a challenging week of scheduled opponents, beginning with a return to action on Wednesday against the surging Los Angeles Clippers. Dallas will then play an away-home back-to-back that starts on Friday against the Houston Rockets, ends against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center.
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