Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been named The Dallas Express Athlete of the Week for his performances against the Los Angeles Clippers to open the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Doncic has helped guide his team to a 2-1 lead in the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Clippers, stuffing the stat sheet in the process.
The 6-foot-7-inch guard has put together averages of 29 points, 9.67 rebounds, and eight assists per game through the first three contests in the series while also averaging an incredible 42.67 minutes per game.
Although Doncic has struggled from the field to start the series, shooting a combined 37.6%, poor shooting has been a trend for almost every player on the two teams. The Mavericks and Clippers shot a combined 42.4% from the field in this series, which contributed to low scoring in all three games.
Doncic has been a force on the offensive side of the ball for the entirety of his career, but his defense in the last few games against the Clippers has been the biggest standout from his recent performances.
The Mavericks guard has continually taken on the challenge of guarding the Clippers’ best players when squared up against them, routinely pushing away attempted help from his teammates in favor of one-on-one matchups.
These performances were highlighted during the Mavericks’ Game 2 win in Los Angeles to steal home-court advantage, in which the Clippers continually attempted to score on the 25-year-old guard to no avail.
Clippers players who attempted field goals while Doncic was the primary defender shot just 2-17 in Game 2, helping propel the Mavericks to a gritty 96-93 finish, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The Mavericks taking a 2-1 series lead following Game 2 has heavily shifted the odds of them winning the series, as teams who take a 2-1 in a best-of-seven series have advanced to the next round 78.8% of the time.
Dallas is set to match up against the Clippers in Game 4 of the NBA Playoffs on Sunday, with tip-off currently scheduled for 2 p.m. at American Airlines Center.
