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Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is coming into his own, leading his team to an incredible run to close out the season. They have had notable wins against top teams, with their most recent win coming Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets.
Given how well Doncic has played, some believe there is reason to get scared of the Mavericks. For the past two seasons, the Mavs reached the playoffs but failed to get past the LA Clippers in the first round.
As things stand, the Mavs will face the Utah Jazz in the first round. The teams have identical 43-26 records and are tied for fourth in the Western Conference. Given how well Dallas has played so far, it would not be wise to bet against the Mavs in a seven-game series.
On ESPN's "NBA Today," the crew sought to find out how scared the league should be of Doncic. Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins outlined Doncic's heroics, saying the league should be very afraid.
"They should be very scared, but it's not just about 'Late-game Luka' it's about 'Skinny Luka' since he's lost weight," Perkins said. "I just want to go over some spa***ngs that he has given out with his Gucci belt.
"Just this month alone, he went into LA, and he gave a spa***ng to the Lakers and LeBron James. He was the best player on the floor. Then they played the Golden State Warriors. He put Steph (Curry) over his lap and gave him a spa***ng as well with the win. Then he went into Utah, put Donovan Mitchell over his right knee and gave him a spa***ng.
"And then he gave Jayson Tatum a spanking two nights ago, and he just gave KD (Kevin Durant) a spanking. So, when I look at 'Skinny Luka' against all those teams and all those superstars, he has been the best player on the floor that night, and he has won those games for his team."
It has been an inspiring performance from Doncic as the playoffs approach. The Slovenian is doing all he can to make sure his team gets a favorable seeding in the playoffs.
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks have won eight of 10 games since the All-Star break
The Mavericks found their stride in late December and have since stayed the course. (Then went on a 10-1 run from Dec. 31 through Jan. 19.) In their last 25 games, they have recorded only seven losses, including going 8 of 10 since returning from the All-Star break.
It is doubly impressive to know that most of those wins were against the Golden State Warriors, LA Lakers, Boston Celtics and Nets. The Mavericks are putting together a masterclass, with Luka at the helm of affairs.
There have been debates on who will replace LeBron James as the face of the NBA, and Luka is making a good case for it. The three-time All-Star is averaging 28.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists while shooting 45.5%.
Guess the Lakers players!
