Luka Doncic is back.
Following a poor Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Doncic didn’t wait long to prove that word of his demise had been greatly exaggerated. The Dallas Mavericks star finished the first quarter with 16 points (6-of-8) while finishing near perfect from beyond the arc (4-of-5).
While Doncic has shown off his scoring touch in Game 2, he’s dishing out assists with ease. Minutes into the opening quarter, he connected with Daniel Gafford on a long lob for a two-handed jam.
Limited by a knee injury, Doncic wasn’t himself in a 117-95 loss to the Thunder in Game 1. Mostly, he struggled, recording 19 points (6-of-19) with five turnovers.
Doncic cautioned before the series began that his knee likely wouldn’t improve until summer. However, that hasn’t taken away his competitive spirit.
“It’s part of my DNA to play through pain,” Doncic said, via Abby Jones of Bally Sports. “I’d have to be unable to walk to miss one of these games.”
While Doncic’s toughness isn’t up for debate, he may have more to worry about than a sore knee after taking a nasty fall in the first quarter that bloodied his nose.
