Dallas Mavericks dominate Pelicans as Luka Doncic bounces back

The Dallas Mavericks dominated the New Orleans Pelicans 125-107 on Wednesday night in a massive game in the standings. They cut their magic number to finish in the top six in the Western Conference down to one. That would guarantee Luka Doncic and the Mavs a playoff spot. Teams seven through ten must take part in the play-in tournament. Find out the specifics here.

The story of the night was the return of Kristaps Porzingis. He had missed seven straight games with a knee injury, but the Unicorn did not disappoint in his first game back. He finished with 19 points, five rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 22 minutes of action against the Pelicans. KP was seven of 14 from the floor in his return.

Luka stole the show with an incredible second quarter that sparked the blowout win against the shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans. He was impossible to stop one night after struggling mightily from the field. Here is a closer look at Luka’s performance and what the win means for the Mavs moving forward.

Luka Doncic bounces back as Dallas Mavericks dominate New Orleans Pelicans

Doncic pulled off a rare dunk in the first quarter on Wednesday night.

The 22-year-old superstar was coming off one of his worst games of the season. The skid continued in the first quarter as he was just two of seven from the field. Luka was upset at the end of the opening period as he thought he drew a foul on his missed buzzer-beater. It was the only spark the Mavericks superstar needed.

Doncic had 17 points, including drilling a career-high-tying five 3-pointers in the second quarter. See his incredible highlight package from the period below.

The Mavs had 77 points in the first half and were up by 19 at the break. Luka had the offense rolling, and Kristaps Porzingis made his shots in his return to the floor.

The two stars picked up where they left off in the third quarter. Doncic found Porzingis on an alley-oop to begin the period.

The Dallas Mavericks got Luka a bit of extra rest on May 12 as they blew out the Pelicans. He finished with 33 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. He was 12 of 24 from the field, including hitting seven triples. The Mavs outscored New Orleans by 24 points in Doncic’s 31 minutes on the floor on Wednesday night. The 22-year-old got some needed rest amid the compressed schedule too.

The Mavericks need to take care of business and win their final two regular season games. They are favored to finish fifth in the Western Conference if they win out. Luka must stay hot and lift Dallas over the finish line. The return of Kristaps Porzingis makes the Mavs a team nobody wants to face in the playoffs. Getting back into fifth is massive for the organization.

The Dallas Mavericks are back in action on Friday night as they host the Toronto Raptors. Expect Luka Doncic to stay hot as his team attempts to grab a crucial win. Fans will not want to miss a second of the action, so be sure to tune in and enjoy the game.