3 studs, 2 duds in Mavericks’ thrilling home win against Bulls

4. Dud - Luka Doncic

After a great start to the season and putting up video game numbers, Luka Doncic had an off night in the Mavericks win at home.

Doncic made an early case for the MVP award, but tonight he struggled on the offensive side. In a scrappy game, Doncic had 18 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds, while shooting 5-16 from the floor and 1-8 from behind the arc.

Doncic has been making an effort of trying to not complain to the officials, but that ended after he received his first technical foul of the season in the middle of the third quarter.

Although Doncic was not getting foul calls in the paint, he could have had some easy and-ones throughout the night.

One of the biggest questions heading into the season for Luka Doncic, was whether or not he would participate more defensively. He proved in the clutch win that he’s one of the most underrated defenders in the NBA. He consistently illustrated great defense while contesting DeMar DeRozan’s mid-range shot.

In the last two games, Doncic has played a total of 80 minutes. Expect his workload to go down a bit once Kyrie Irving returns to the floor.

Be prepared to see a bounce-back game from Doncic as the Mavs take on the Nuggets in their first game of the NBA In-Season Tournament.