Luka Doncic praises himself for stopping Kevin Durant tonight. The Dallas Mavericks rallied in the second half after falling behind in the first against the Phoenix Suns. Doncic led the Mavericks’ offense with 41 points and 11 assists. On the other side, he has grown as a defender and takes delight in guarding Kevin Durant.
Following the game, LukaMagic stated, “Not just in the fourth, but throughout the game, I take great pride in that, and I think I was good today,” in response to a reporter’s question about stopping KD in the fourth quarter.
In fact, there’s nothing wrong with taking satisfaction in defending Kevin Durant. The Suns club has repeatedly demonstrated that KD always comes forward to protect the top defender from his opponents. At the same time, he’s a deadly shooter in the fourth quarter. Not to mention Slim Reaper’s remarkable attempt to overcome a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings.
Notably, in tonight’s challenge, KD and company were just 10 points behind, and the game could have easily turned into a competitive one. However, the Mavericks’ defense thwarted the Suns’ comeback attempt. The Suns could only cut the Mavs’ advantage by 5 points, and that came in the first minute of the fourth quarter.
Following that, the Mavs scored a solid 10 points in the fourth quarter, leaving no crumbs for the visitors. Luka Doncic had three steals by the time the final buzzer sounded, solidifying his position as MVP.
Furthermore, in terms of his defensive skills, Luka Doncic made a positive statement for the Mavs family.