Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic hit two of the best clutch shots of the year

Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic drilled two of the best clutch of the 2019-2020 season

The Dallas Mavericks were a surprising team last season. Few predicted them to make the playoffs, and nobody expected Luka Doncic to become an MVP candidate in his second year. Crazily, the Mavs underperformed. They had the sixth-best plus/minus in the NBA but finished just seven in the Western Conference.

The Mavericks’ poor record in clutch games was a major reason. They finished just 17-24 in contests that had a five-point differential in the last five minutes. Dallas shot just 38.2 percent from the field in those situations and just 25.7 percent on their threes. Improving slightly in close games could go a long way in vaulting the team into title contention.

Luka gave fans a clutch play they will never forget in the playoffs, but was it the best one of the season? Let us take a closer look.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has two of the best clutch plays of the season.

The NBA released a countdown of the top 75 clutch plays of the 2019-2020 season, and Luka made the list twice. His first appearance as it 56 where he drills a dragger step back triple against the Spurs. Doncic’s playoff game-winner checks in second behind Anthony Davis’ postseason buzzer-beater. See all of the best clutch plays below.

Luka struggled in crunch time, despite the two top plays. The Mavs were 14-17 in games he played that were considered clutch, according to NBA Stats. Doncic shot 36.1 percent from the field and 17.1 percent on his threes in those situations. Luka and the Mavericks are still figuring it out. They often tried to bleed the clock too soon instead of just running their offense.

Expect Doncic’s buzzer-beater in the postseason to be the start of a changing tide. The 21-year-old will master winning close games. Dallas Mavericks fans will not want to miss it, so stay tuned.