“He’s the future”: Luka Doncic Explodes in Playoff Debut

Slovenian Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic made NBA playoff history on Monday, announcing himself to the world in the process.

If anybody didn’t know about Luka Doncic before Monday, they do know. The Mavericks forward scored 42 points in a Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Luka Doncic (21) is the first NBA player to score at least 40 points in their postseason debut. He is also the fourth player aged 21 or younger to score 40 points in a playoff game. The first three two do so were Tracy McGrady, LeBron James and Magic Johnson.

Doncic’s 42 points came from 13-of-21 shots from the field and 15-of-16 from the line. He also had 9 assists, 7 rebounds, three 3 and 11 turnovers.

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Although the Clippers were favorites, they owe their 118-110 win to a stroke of luck.

In the third quarter, Kristaps Porzingiz got into a shoving match with Marcus Morris after Doncic was called for a carry. It led to his second technical and the questionable decision to eject him.

Afterwards, the Mavericks offense lost its way and the Clippers sealed the game.

“I knew KP had my back,” Luka Doncic said.

“He did it for me and his teammates. I didn’t think it was fair to kick him out of the game, especially in the playoffs.”

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Doncic won the EuroLeague MVP and Final Four MVP with Real Madrid when he was 19 years old. After his rookie season last year, he has a Rookie of the Year award, an All-Star Appearance, and a Most Improved Player nomination.

Now, he has proved himself in the playoffs against the Clippers, and the stars on the Clippers team noticed. 

“He’s the future, said Paul George.

“We didn’t come in here and think we could stop Luka.”