Doncic scores 50 points to eclipse 10,000 for career, Mavericks beat Suns

The Phoenix Suns deployed double teams on Luka Doncic, and the Dallas star exploited them to set up easy baskets.

The Suns made matters worse by leaving Doncic in one-on-one coverage.

Luka Doncic scored 50 points and had 15 assists to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 128-114 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night.

“He’s one of the best in the world,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of his star player. “We can’t take him for granted, as I’ve always said. When he’s feeling it, you just try to get the ball to him as much as possible.”

They certainly did against the Suns, and Doncic made them pay.

Doncic capped a busy Christmas Day in the NBA by hitting 8 of 16 three-point attempts and all 12 free throws. He passed 10,000 career points in the first quarter, becoming the seventh fastest player in NBA history.

When Doncic passed out of double teams, the rest of the Mavericks stepped up.

After missing four games due to an ankle sprain, Dereck Lively II had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 18 points in Dallas’ ninth straight game without Kyrie Irving (heel).

After allowing Phoenix to take the lead, Dallas went on a 17-4 run in the fourth quarter and never looked back.

“That was a tough road game and outside of the 10K and 50 points, we won the game so I’m really happy,” Doncic told reporters.

The Mavericks did their best to limit Devin Booker and Kevin Durant’s effectiveness, holding them to 25 combined shots.

With Phoenix’s two stars surrounded by defenders all night, Chimezie Metu and Grayson Allen provided a spark off the Suns’ bench, which has been a source of concern at times this season.

Allen scored 19 of his 32 points in the third quarter to help the Suns overcome a 15-point deficit, and he shot 8 of 17 from beyond the arc. Metu finished with 23 points and 19 rebounds, while big man Jusuf Nurkic missed his second straight game due to personal reasons.

The Suns have lost nine of their last eleven games.

The Phoenix Suns used double teams on Luka Doncic, who took advantage of them to set up easy baskets.

The Suns aggravated matters by leaving Doncic in one-on-one coverage.

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Phoenix Suns 128-114 on Monday night, led by Luka Doncic’s 50 points and 15 assists.

“He’s one of the best in the world,” said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd of his star player. “As I’ve always said, we can’t take him for granted. You just try to get the ball to him as much as possible when he’s feeling it.”

They most emphatically did so against the Suns, and Doncic made them pay.

Doncic finished a busy Christmas Day in the NBA by making all 12 free throws and 8 of 16 three-point attempts. In the first quarter, he surpassed 10,000 career points, becoming the seventh fastest player in NBA history.

The rest of the Mavericks stepped up when Doncic passed out of double teams.

The Phoenix Suns used double teams against Luka Doncic, who exploited them to set up easy baskets.

The Suns made matters worse by leaving Doncic in one-on-one coverage.

On Monday night, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Phoenix Suns 128-114, led by Luka Doncic’s 50 points and 15 assists.

“He’s one of the best in the world,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of his superstar. “We can’t take him for granted, as I’ve always said. When he’s feeling it, you just try to get the ball to him as much as possible.”

They did so emphatically against the Suns, and Doncic punished them.

Doncic capped off a busy Christmas Day in the NBA by hitting all 12 free throws and 8 of 16 three-point attempts. He surpassed 10,000 career points in the first quarter, becoming the seventh fastest player in NBA history.

When Doncic passed out of double teams, the rest of the Mavericks stepped up.

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