We may have a new MVP frontrunner, and his name is Luka Doncic.
Doncic exploded with a monster 41-point, 11-rebound, 14-assist triple-double to lead the Dallas Mavericks past the Brooklyn Nets in overtime 129-125.
The Mavericks had the edge for most of the contest behind Doncic’s insane performance which Brooklyn had no answers for.
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But the Nets came surging back in the second half as Kyrie Irving, who finished with 39 points, put the team on his back with help from Kevin Durant, who had 37 points.
Irving hit a monster three-pointer with the shot-clock winding down with 3:30 left in the game to extend the Nets’ lead 110-106 and cap off a 7-0 Nets run.
But Doncic and the Mavericks kept pushing down the stretch of regulation.
It included Doncic getting awarded goaltend on Durant after the Slovenian star drove to the basket with 43 seconds left in what would’ve extended Dallas’ four points, however it was overturned after a review determined it was a clean block from Durant.
Ben Simmons then stepped up defensively in the clutch, going over to double team Doncic on the potential game-winning shot, stealing the ball and dishing to Durant for the dunk to send it into OT.
Simmons tallied seven points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.
The Mavericks quickly raced ahead 123-114 in overtime after a long Doncic jumper followed by consecutive triples to Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber and Reggie Bullock – all assisted on by Doncic.
The extra period was bizarrely held up after a Nets fan allegedly threw a cup of ice at Doncic as play was stopped for several minutes to dry the floor.
Brooklyn did not stop trying down the stretch as Irving and Durant kept attacking offensively, but ultimately could not recover the deficit.
It meant the Nets fell to 1-4 to continue their sluggish start to the season, while Dallas improved to 2-2.
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