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The Dallas Mavericks got a much-needed win Monday night, and they did so with another brilliant performance from their star.
Luka Doncic, dealing with an ankle injury, scored 53 points against the Detroit Pistons, leading the Mavericks to a 111-105 victory.
Luka Doncic, #77 of the Dallas Mavericks, reacts after scoring a basket against the Detroit Pistons in the second half at American Airlines Center on Jan. 30, 2023 in Dallas. The Mavericks won 111-105. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Doncic lit up the scoreboard while jawing with the Pistons bench, specifically an assistant coach who reportedly started a back-and-forth with Doncic early in the game.
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"It was their assistant coach. He started chirping in the first quarter," Doncic said after the win. "They didn’t like when I chirped back. Now they said, ‘Play basketball.’
"If they’re going to chirp at me, I’m going to chirp back. I ain’t scared."
Doncic returned to the court after injuring his ankle against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, adding eight rebounds and five assists to his 50-point performance.
Luka Doncic, #77 of the Dallas Mavericks, gestures after scoring a three-point basket against the Detroit Pistons in the first half at American Airlines Center on Jan. 30, 2023 in Dallas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
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"He's been very unselfish with the double teams," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said, according to ESPN. "The rhythm of those shots, we just have to be consistent with because we're going to see that all year. Once we started to knock those down, our defense picked up."
Doncic could be seen exchanging words with the Pistons' bench with 7.4 seconds remaining in the game, ending an evening where Doncic repeatedly had words for Detroit.
"It's a bunch of nothing, a bunch of nothing," Pistons coach Dwane Casey said when asked about the "chirping."
Dwane Casey, of the Detroit Pistons, during practice and media availability as part of NBA Paris Games 2023 at the Palais des sports Marcel-Cerdan on Jan. 17, 2023 in Paris. (Catherine Steenkeste/NBAE via Getty Images)
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"We've seen worse. You remember I coached Gary Payton and Kevin Garnett. So, that tonight was zero as far as chirping. I like it. I thought it really got us going, and that's the way it should be with competitive guys. Doncic is competitive as heck. I love it. I love the way he plays, the way he carries himself, and I love the way our guys responded. They weren't intimidated. So it's all good. It was clean, nothing dirty about it."
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Doncic was 17-24 from the field, including 5-11 from the three-point line, as the Mavericks won for just the fourth time in the last 10 games.
Only one other Dallas player ended the night in double-digits, as Spencer Dinwiddie finished the evening with 12 points.
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