Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić has been considered the early runaway favorite to win the 2023-24 NBA MVP award since the start of the season, and he has the statistics to back up his claim. But if Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks continues to play at the level he has through his team’s first 20 games, there could be a serious debate over who gets to take home the hardware at the end of the season.
Dončić Has 25-Point Triple Double In First Half, Mavericks Dominate
Headband Luka dropped a triple-double in the FIRST HALF:
✨ 29 PTS
✨ 10 REB
✨ 10 AST pic.twitter.com/NnUJhB9L98— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 7, 2023
Dončić has finished in the top-8 in MVP voting in each of the past four seasons, but the highest he’s ever finished in the voting is 4th, and his 8th place finish came just last season. The Mavericks were abysmal down the stretch in the spring of 2023, which likely affected his standing, but the team has gotten off to a good enough start this season to keep their point guard in the running. As of Wednesday evening, Dallas was 12-8 and in the top-5 in the Western Conference.
Their early season success has been thanks in large part to the stellar play of their MVP candidate, who had perhaps his most impressive showing of the season on Wednesday night. Before the second quarter concluded, Dončić already had a triple double. In fact, it was the first time that any has achieved a 25-point triple double in the first half in NBA history.
Dallas Has A Chance To Pick Up Easy Wins Over Next Week
Luka Doncic through 3 quarters:
40 points
10 rebounds
11 assists
14/25 FG
6/12 3PT pic.twitter.com/N9lJY9s2Di— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 7, 2023
The Mavericks went as Dončić went. They were beating the Jazz by 23 at half-time, and things got even worse for Utah as the game wore on. The lead was pushed to 35 by the end of the third quarter, and concluded in a 147-97, 50-point demolition by the Mavericks. Luka Dončić finished with 40 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds without playing a single minute in the 4th quarter.
Dallas finishes the night in 4th place in the Western Conference, and will have a chance to move up in the standings over the next week. Their next two games are against the Trail Blazers and Grizzlies, who are both in the bottom-4 in the West.
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