Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic returns and scores 27 against Minnesota

Dallas Mavericks star rookie Luka Doncic returned after missing the last two games and dropped 27 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 3.

Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic missed two straight games with a leg injury. He had swelling in his knee after a collision against the Heat on March 28. The team did not want Luka back until he was fully healthy. Doncic returned on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Mavs had won two straight with Luka on the bench. Both victories came over playoff-bound teams in the Thunder and 76ers. The young talents were stepping up, but Mavericks fans were ecstatic to get the Matador back on the court.

Doncic looked healthy as he returned to the starting five and was making his presence felt from the opening tip. Luka played 32 minutes and finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. He was 11 of 21 from the field and perfect on his three free throw attempts.

The game ended on a bit of a sour note for the Dallas Mavericks. They made a fourth-quarter comeback and had an opportunity to win the game as the clock ran down. Doncic shook his defender and passed it to an open Jalen Brunson, but he couldn’t hit the game-winning attempt. The Wolves took a 110-108 victory in Dallas.

Luka Doncic still offered fans plenty of highlights, though. Let us take a closer look.

Highlights

Luka Doncic did not take long to start the highlight reel on April 3. He had this fancy fake and pass out of a double team less than three minutes into the game. Check it out here courtesy of the Mavs official Twitter.

It was a night of stellar passes from the 20-year-old. Here Luka leads the break and finds Dwight Powell for an alley-oop courtesy of the Mavericks Twitter.

Mavs fans can never get enough Luka and Dirk moments. The rookie found the legend early in the third quarter for a score via the Mavericks Twitter.

The step-back

Doncic brought out the step-back 3-pointer in crunch time too. The game was back-and-forth late, and Luka had to hit his patented shot. See it here courtesy of the team’s official Twitter.

Luka Doncic had another strong game. He is one of the toughest covers in the NBA at 20 years old. It will be fascinating to see how Luka expands his game this offseason. His sophomore campaign could be one for the ages.

Final thoughts

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic returned from injury and dropped 27 points against the Timberwolves. Unfortunately, the Mavs fell short at running their winning streak to three games. It was fantastic to see Doncic back on the court, though.

The Mavericks will miss the postseason for the third consecutive season, but they are ready to contend next season. The addition of Kristaps Porzingis plus some wise spending in free agency should have the Mavs in the hunt in the deep Western Conference. Fans should be excited about the future in Dallas.