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Now in NBA record books, Luka Doncic’s artistry will be associated with number 73 forever

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd described Doncic’s historic night as ‘‘one of his best paintings.’

One night later. New city. Different arena. The buzz surrounding Luka Doncic’s magical performance 22 hours earlier in Atlanta scarcely had waned.

That’s partly because Doncic and the Mavericks had come home to American Airlines Center for Saturday night’s game against Sacramento, but mostly it’s because the details and magnitude of what occurred in Atlanta still resonated.

Seventy-three.

Fresh off scorching the Hawks with the fourth-highest scoring game in NBA history, and playing 45 minutes in the process, Doncic suited up against the Kings with little chance of producing an encore like what happened in Atlanta.

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“It’d be hard for anybody to average 73,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “But can he get it again? For sure he can. He can get it almost easily against any team.”

The Kings “limited” Doncic to 28 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds while holding off a late Dallas rally to win, 120-115. Doncic played 46 minutes and fatigue likely factored into his 0-for-7 3-point shooting -- but, hey, he piled up 101 points in 24 hours.

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In reality, it mattered little whether Doncic produced another monster game against the Kings. Nothing Doncic does for the rest of his career will lessen that 73-point explosion.

It’s permanent. It’s seared into our memories. It’s etched in the NBA record book. Whether you were among the privileged to witness it in person, or among the many who watched on TV as Doncic poured in 41 points in the first half, then surpassed 50 ... then 60 ... you’ll associate the number 73 with Doncic forever.

Or at least until he someday tops it.

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Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, who often compares Doncic’s basketball artistry to the genius of Picasso, said of his 24-year-old star’s Friday performance: “This is one of his best paintings. This will sell at a high price, just the way that he painted the game.”

Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban had an up-close-and-personal view of Doncic’s historic night. Cuban, as he often does when attending road games, sat behind the Mavericks’ bench in Atlanta.

“It all was special,” Cuban recounted to The Dallas Morning News on Saturday. “Every single moment of it.

“But what caught my attention more than anything was Luka cutting off drives towards the end of the game when he had to be exhausted. That shows what a competitor he is.”

Doncic joined Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and David Thompson as the only players in NBA history to score 73 or more points in a game.

“Those names are special, man,” Doncic said. “It’s unbelievable. I just feel special to be in the conversation with them.”

The careers of Chamberlain and Thompson ended decades before Doncic’s 1999 birth in Ljublijana, Slovenia. And Bryant’s legendary 81-point game against Toronto on Jan. 22, 2006, occurred when Doncic was in elementary school.

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Doncic, though, struck a friendship with Bryant early in his career. When the Mavericks played in Los Angeles during Doncic’s second season, Doncic was in-bounding the ball from the sideline when he heard someone speak to him from behind.

It was recently retired Bryant, sitting with daughter Gigi.

“He was talking Slovenian. So I was like, ‘Who’s talking my language?’ " Doncic said that day. “I saw Kobe and was really surprised.”

Doncic visited with Kobe and Gigi and posed for photos with Gigi after that game.

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New girl dad Doncic’s 73-point night occurred less than two months after daughter Gabriela’s birth -- and on the four-year anniversary of the deaths of Kobe and Gigi in a helicopter accident.

That’s what made Friday night bittersweet for Mavericks assistant coach God Shammgod, a close friend of Bryant’s.

“Last night was great and it was tough at the same time,” Shammgod said Saturday night, before he and fellow assistant Darrell Armstrong guided Doncic through his pregame warmup, as they have done throughout his career.

Doncic’s warmup before the Atlanta game did not go well.

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“Terrible,” Shammgod said with a laugh. He knew by midway through the first quarter against the Hawks, though, that Doncic was on his way to a special performance.

“Kobe, Jordan. Luka, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, those people don’t come around too often,” Shammgod said. “When the lights are their brightest, they find a way to show up. Big.”

While watching Doncic continue to dominate through the second half, Shammgod’s thoughts drifted to Bryant. Not just because Doncic was scoring at will, but because he continued to think team-first, on several occasions passing up open shots in the final minutes that could have boosted him toward Bryant’s 81-point mark.

“I used to talk to Kobe a lot about Luka,” Shammgod said. “He always spoke highly and really liked Luka.

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“Last night was tough moments, but amazing moments at the same time. Kobe’s respect level for Luka and Luka liking him, those go hand in hand.”

Now Doncic and Bryant are joined in history, on basketball’s Mount Rushmore of players who have scored 73 or more points.

Permanently.

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