Luis Edu
Luka Doncic has established himself as one of the young stars of the NBA and, with his recent brilliant performance in the decisive game 7 against the Phoenix Suns, he reached statistics in the playoffs that place him above the two best players in history: LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
Only 30 minutes on the court were enough for the Slovenian to register a solid line of 35 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Doncic’s reputation in playoff elimination matchups in the best basketball league in the world grows with these stats.
After 4 appearances in do-or-die games in the NBA, the Mavs star is averaging 38 points, 9.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists. Additionally, he registers 53.4% in field goals and 43.6% in three-point shots.
Top 5 of the best scorers with at least 3 appearances in elimination games in the NBA:
- Luka Doncic – 38.0 points
- Alex Groza – 33.5 points
- LeBron James – 33.5 points
- Michael Jordan – 31.3 points
- Wilt Chamberlain – 31.1 points
In fact, when it comes to dealing with these complex situations, young Luka still holds his own against James in other departments. For example, the veteran of the Los Angeles Lakers also loses the duel in percentages from the field (48.8%) and triples (35.3). It’s worth noting, however, that the four-time NBA champion has played 25 games in this style, compared to only 4 for the Mavs’ player.
These are impressive stats that show the greatness of the European as the leader of a Texan team that surprisingly finds itself in the Conference Finals, despite having a very humble squad.
Given that the Mavs are “underdogs” in their series against Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors, it’s extremely likely that Doncic will be able to maintain or improve his averages in high-pressure, do-or-die situations during the NBA playoffs.
How much does Luka Doncic make with the Mavericks?
For the 2021/22 NBA season, the former Real Madrid player has a salary of $10.1 million dollars, thanks to a four-year agreement that ends on July 1, 2022.
After his outstanding performances leading the Mark Cuban franchise, it is certain that the Slovenian-born player will receive a new contract that will make him one of the highest-paid players in all of professional sports in the United States.
