It’s still a young career for Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic yet he has quickly become a centerpiece for game seven in the NBA. A question mark of hype coming from Slovenia and the 24 year old phenom quickly silenced any doubt of his greatness.
The problem for the Mavericks is they have yet to find a winning formula come playoff time. Even with the facts, an argument can soon be made that Doncic can go down as the most dominant game seven player of all time.
Luka Doncic Makes Case For Most Dominant Game Seven Player
The @dallasmavs win Game 7 and advance to the Western Conference Finals! #MFFL #NBAConferenceFinals presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/Dvq3mKMx8p
— NBA (@NBA) May 16, 2022
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Never Ready To Go Home
The easy argument to make is Doncic has only appeared in two game sevens in his career. Doncic has also yet to make to the NBA finals.
Even with the facts, there’s no shying away from his early dominance. In just two game sevens, Doncic averaged 40.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game.
In a game seven loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Doncic scored 46 points while also recording 14 assists on 55% true shooting from the field. Even with the Mavericks losing, Doncic laid it all out on the floor and made sure the Mavericks had a chance.
It’s still too early to tell, but the near automatic walking triple-double style of Doncic already draws comparisons to some of the greats. Including a player who is well known for dominating game seven, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.
Throwback to Luka Doncic game 7 vs the Clippers (2021 Playoffs)
■46 points
■7 rebounds
■14 assists
■66%TS
■5 3PMDominated Kiwi Leonard
pic.twitter.com/3ah9LwtEsG— Lim
(@CookedBySteph) July 26, 2023
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Where Does Luka Doncic Rank By The Numbers?
James being the seasoned veteran has made his presence known in game seven. With a record of 6-2, James has averaged 34.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists.
James’ career high in game seven sits at 45 points (twice) making Doncic’s dominance that much more pronounced. Of course if we go by record, former Boston Celtics great Bill Russell takes the trophy.
Russell finished his career with astounding 10-0 record in game seven’s. Unfortunately, blocks and steals were not yet recorded lowering the defensive masterminds value.
Even with the record books not fully intact, Russell still managed to average a monster 29.3 rebounds per game in game seven. A number that is hard to reach.
To compare to a more current future Hall of Fame guard, Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry has a 3-2 record in game seven. In those games, Curry averaged 32.6 points per game while shooting 42.4% from the three-point line.
Most notably, Curry dropped 50 points in the 2023 postseason against the Sacramento Kings. Curry has dominated, but Doncic’s numbers still rise above as he continues to put the team on his back.
Chris Paul and Devin Booker laughed at Luka Doncic, and that man absolutely violated them in Game 7 on their home floor.
Grown men crying in the stands, arena half empty with 18 min left, team issued an apology.
My favorite non-Finals moment ever.pic.twitter.com/WUuPgadKdj
— Jake (@JakeAndHoops) July 31, 2023
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The Last Word On Game Seven
With plenty of years left for Doncic, there’s bound to be more game seven dominance in the horizon. Of course, to save the mental health of fans Doncic will do what he can to avoid must-win games.
Until then, Mavericks fans get to hold onto a player who truly is changing to landscape of the NBA. A player that the Mavericks have no interest of letting go anytime soon.
The post Luka Doncic Makes Case For Most Dominant Game Seven Player appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.