The heat pack Luka Doncic wore while watching parts of the Mavericks’ 104-91 win over the Grizzlies on Sunday might’ve done more than keep his strained neck from tightening up during breaks.
Because his on-court production was hot, too.
Doncic logged his second-highest scoring total of the season (37 points) while shooting 13 of 25 from the field and adding 11 rebounds, nine assists, one block and three steals in 38 minutes.
He received a standing ovation when he checked out with 1:41 remaining, and flashed a thumbs up at a group of fans hollering for his attention.
A look at Luka’s heat pack neck treatment between rotations. pic.twitter.com/xx8Rm7S6Pp
— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) January 24, 2022
But he wasn’t the only Maverick in American Airlines Center who appeared powerful and poised in the team’s 11th victory over the last 13 games.
Kristaps Porzingis contributed 15 points, eight rebounds and two assists and matched his Dallas-best mark with six blocks — half of the Mavericks’ season-high 12 — and Jalen Brunson (13 points) reached double figures, too.
The Western Conference’s No. 3 Grizzlies (32-17) remain three games ahead of the No. 5 Mavericks (27-20), but Dallas finished the regular-season series with a 3-1 edge, ensuring they’ll hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Memphis in the playoff standings come April.
“Luka was aggressive,” coach Jason Kidd said. “I know he would want me to say this: He was great on defense. He had the total package today, not just when you look at stats, but defensively he was in the right place.”
Though the teams had played four times since early December, Sunday’s matchup marked a first in the matchups.
Finally, a full complement of superstars.
Doncic and Porzingis missed the first, a Mavericks home loss Dec. 4, but they returned for Dallas’ win Dec. 8 in Memphis — only for Ja Morant to be out with a knee injury and COVID-19.
After contracting COVID-19 in early January, Porzingis was again absent for a 112-84 victory in Memphis on Jan. 14, when the Mavericks’ stopped the Grizzlies’ franchise-best winning streak at 11 games.
While the Grizzlies were still without several key players Sunday — including TCU product Desmond Bane (health and safety protocol), game-time scratch Brandon Clarke (back soreness) and Dillon Brooks (ankle sprain) — the Mavericks were almost at full strength, missing just reserves Sterling Brown (left foot soreness) and Frank Ntilikina (non-COVID illness).
Dallas made sure to capitalize.
Doncic suffered a neck strain in the second half Thursday that left him unable to turn his head to either side, but after two days off for massages, steam room sessions and practice, he showed little limitation while wearing several pieces of black tape down the back of his neck and getting heating-pad treatment during a couple of breaks.
He threw passes sidearm, behind his head and across four defenders. He had steals on two straight Memphis possessions and almost dunked on the fast-break after one, smiling at teammates on the bench after he decided to lay the ball in instead.
“They’re just laughing,” Doncic said. “I forgot what they say, but ‘you can’t dunk’ or something like that.”
Porzingis, meanwhile, seemed to take inspiration from his favorite spectator sport, MMA, in his physical defense and strong finishes at the rim. Maxi Kleber (three blocks) and Dorian Finney-Smith (two) logged multi-swat games, too.
Morant finished with 35 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, but Doncic looked eager to match — or surpass — each one of Morant’s successes on the other end.
Call it a last-minute ploy for All-Star support from Doncic, who trailed Morant in fan voting at the NBA’s last check-in.
The game marked another homecoming for Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, a St. Mark’s graduate.
The Arlington native looked forward to seeing some high school administrators and basketball coach Scott Jolly at the game and to visiting St. Mark’s on Monday to spend time with students on campus.
But the Mavericks’ defense didn’t make his return to American Airlines Center pleasant.
They held the Grizzlies to 37.4% shooting from the field and 16.7% from 3 and below 100 points for the fourth time this season.
Broadcast change: Mavericks play-by-play commentator Mark Followill announced before the game that he had entered the NBA’s health and safety protocol, and would miss at least two Bally Sports Southwest broadcasts: Sunday’s contest against Memphis and Wednesday’s road match in Portland.
The Mavericks’ Tuesday game at Golden State will be an exclusive TNT broadcast.
Chuck Cooperstein, the Mavericks’ play-by-play radio voice, filled in for Followill.
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