Doncic, Irving become the NBA’s best one-two punch.
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Sacramento Kings 107-103 in the 2023-2024 NBA regular season on Tuesday (Jan. 30) at Golden One Center in Sacramento, California, USA.
The win was Dallas’ sixth straight and kept them in sixth place in the Western Conference.
The win was significant for Dallas. 토토사이트 추천 Dallas knocked off Sacramento, a direct competitor in the Western Conference standings.
The sixth seed is the one that goes directly to the first round of the playoffs rather than the play-in tournament. With this win, Dallas was able to solidify the sixth spot.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were the main contributors to the win. Dallas started the game behind Sacramento’s firepower, trailing 82-73 heading into the fourth quarter.
But in the fourth quarter, Irving and Doncic went on a scoring tear to pull off a thrilling comeback.
Dallas has now gone 9-1 in its last 10 games, including a six-game winning streak. The offense has been led by Doncic and Irving.
In Irving and Doncic, Dallas has two of the most spectacularly explosive scorers in the NBA. Irving and Doncic have the ability to easily average over 25 points per game.
The problem is, their synergy hasn’t been great early in the season. Doncic and Irving alternated one-on-one offense with each other, and it wasn’t clear that they had much chemistry.
But as the season progressed, their chemistry became scary. It’s become a traffic jam, with Doncic acting as the ball-handler and directing the offense, and Irving simply shooting and attacking. The result is a Dallas offense that opponents know and can’t stop.
What’s even scarier is in clutch situations. Both players thrive in pressure situations like clutch situations. Both players have great dribbling skills, which means they are less prone to turnovers, and they have the ability to shoot the 3-pointer, mid-range, and under the basket.
Having just one of these players is scary, but Dallas has two, which means they have a flexible clutch offense that can be rotated depending on how they’re feeling that day. That’s why Dallas is so competitive in clutch situations.
Doncic is averaging an incredible 33.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game this season, nearly averaging a triple-double. If Dallas were ranked higher, he’d be the No. 1 MVP candidate.
Irving is averaging 25.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 5 rebounds per game this season. That’s enough to make him the No. 1 option.
Dallas head coach Jason Kidd is also utilizing the tactic of supporting two clear-cut spearheads. His trade deadline acquisitions, PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, are being used strictly as helpers to Doncic and Irving. They also utilize Dante Exum, Josh Green, and others as perimeter defenders to take some of the defensive pressure off of Irving and Doncic.
With the one-two punch of Doncic and Irving, Dallas’ goal is not just to make the playoffs. They’re looking higher.
The Western Conference is a tough conference, but Dallas’s recent surge should give them confidence against any team. But where will Irving and Doncic end up this season?