DALLAS — Most will remember the Dallas Mavericks’ Friday night game against the Philadelphia 76ers as the night Luka Doncic pointed out a crooked rim and prompted a 43-minute delay to completely replace the hoop.
But in the Dallas Mavericks’ minds?
Doncic’s eighth triple-double of the season to power the 107-98 win will be just as memorable.
With 33 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists, he led the Mavericks’ second-half comeback to erase what had once been a 16-point deficit. In the process, he passed Fat Lever for 10th-most triple-doubles in NBA history (44).
Doncic, dunker of exactly one dunk this season before Friday, logged two slams in the third quarter, including a one-handed poster over big man Andre Drummond. He added two steals, shot 13 of 28 from the floor and reacted with fire and passion throughout his 41 minutes.
Add in 20 points and a few clutch 3-pointers from Reggie Bullock and 19 points from Jalen Brunson, and the Mavericks avoided their first three-game losing streak since Dec. 4-7 and clinched their 30th win of coach Jason Kidd’s tenure.
Although a 9 p.m. local time tipoff for ESPN’s late national broadcast, the game featured a typical start.
In fact, the Mavericks shot 50% from the floor (6 of 12) and looked ready to match Philadelphia’s offensive punch despite Kristaps Porzingis (right knee bone bruise) missing a third consecutive game and Maxi Kleber getting scratched late with left knee swelling.
Then, Luka hit a 3-pointer with about six minutes left in the first quarter and immediately started waving his hands.
Telling teammates to hustle back on defense?
Curving his hand to motion for a scheme?
Nope.
Doncic was trying to signal that the Mavericks’ rim was crooked.
At 9:31 p.m., play stopped, and officials tried multiple fixes over the next half-hour.
Boban Marjanovic tried hanging on it to straighten it with his 7-4 frame. An arena worker brought out a ladder, tape measure and level.
Doncic stopped over at ESPN’s commentary table and told analyst Richard Jefferson the angle was “even worse than before.” Soon after, a few others wheeled out an entirely new hoop — stanchion, backboard, rim and all.
Cue another 20 minutes to secure the base and raise and re-measure the dimensions.
Kidd and Sixers coach Doc Rivers chatted at mid-court. Doncic offered to pay for all fans’ concessions while they waited out the delay, though the Mavericks couldn’t organize the logistics on such short notice.
Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey, a South Garland graduate in his second NBA homecoming game, suggested everyone go to Whataburger.
Players received a five-minute warm-up period before play resumed at 10:14 p.m.
But Dallas appeared to need longer.
Philadelphia re-started the first quarter on an 8-0 run to expand their 19-17 lead, and the Mavericks missed its first 10 field-goal attempts after the delay. They went six game-minutes between Doncic’s delay-prompting 3-pointer and their next field goal, a 14-foot Doncic jumper with 2.4 seconds left in the period.
Fans on social media called for the broken rim to return.
All the Mavericks needed, apparently, was to switch sides.
Shooting on the basket in front of Philadelphia’s bench in the second half, the Maverick outscored the 76ers 32-15 in the third quarter, including 11 points from Doncic as he played the entire period.
When Doncic checked out early in the fourth, the Sixers outscored the Mavericks by six and pulled ahead by 4 points (89-85) with eight minutes remaining.
No worries for Doncic.
Over the last few minutes, he barreled into the paint for an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Bullock for a 3-pointer. He broke through the 76ers’ face-guarding tactics and swished an and-1 play with less than two minutes remaining and flexed at the crowd.
MVP chants rang throughout American Airlines Center.
