3 Studs, 2 duds in Mavericks’ home loss against hot Clippers

2. Dud - Luka Doncic

Although the stat line won’t show that Luka Doncic had an off night, every person watching the game knew he did.

In the loss, Doncic managed to put up 28 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds. As good as those numbers look, he still managed to shoot 2-11 from behind the 3-point line and also 8-14 from the free-throw line. Although every player has off nights, this is slightly unacceptable from an MVP candidate.

Specifically in the second half, Doncic seemed very shy to shoot the typical shots he takes every game. It’s hard to be upset at your star player who has scored 30-plus points in 11 consecutive games, but there are high standards for him.

With the Mavericks having a hefty and difficult schedule coming up, it’s very crucial that Doncic can get into a rhythm and help get some big wins.

Due to Irving and Green being out, expect Doncic to continue to play heavy minutes in the upcoming games. The Mavericks will need him to be a leader on both sides of the floor with the main players on the sideline. Hopefully, Doncic will be able to get his star teammate, Kyrie Irving back for Christmas Day as the Mavericks will take on their current rival, the Phoenix Suns.