Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Even Luka Doncic couldn’t have planned Wednesday night’s buzzer beater against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Down two points with just seconds remaining against the Grizzlies, Doncic made one of the shots of the season, taking off from just behind the three-point arc to defeat Memphis. By the time Doncic’s shot went in, he was near the rim.
The Mavericks are trying to play their way out of the NBA’s play-in tournament, which could see them on the outside looking in of the ultimate goal — reaching the playoffs. Dallas currently sits in the No. 7 seed, just 1.5 games behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the six-spot.
Luka Doncic’s NBA portfolio grows with Wednesday’s buzzer-beater
It’s by no means Luka’s best game-winning shot — that’ll clearly go to his buzzer beater against the Los Angeles Clippers in the bubble.
Yet, should the Mavs make a postseason run, this is a moment Dallas basketball fans will remember as a possible turning point. The Mavs remain red-hot, and likely deserve a pass on the play-in tournament. That remains true if you ask Mark Cuban, who called the event an “enormous mistake” just a few days ago, only to apologize later.
Either way, Doncic hopes to aid the Mavericks’ attempt to avoid such a conundrum. Only time will tell.