DALLAS — Perhaps Luka Doncic felt extra flashy in the Mavericks’ “statement uniforms,” a sleek navy blue cut with black accents and white accessories the team debuted Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Maybe he wanted to show out as head coach Jason Kidd and the entire support staff sported pairs of his Jordan Brand signature Luka 1s.
Or, more likely, Doncic might’ve just wanted to ease the sting of the Mavericks’ season-opening blown lead to the Phoenix Suns and put on a show for the American Airlines Center faithful who turned out to watch him against fellow young star Ja Morant.
Regardless of motivation, Doncic delivered in Dallas’ 137-96 win.
He tallied 32 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 30 minutes stats to notch his second consecutive 30-plus point game — and 90th of his career — and lead the Mavericks’ first victory of his fifth NBA season against a team that logged the NBA’s second-best record last year.
The 23-year-old dominated scoring early to surpass 7,000 career points, became a decisive facilitator later and ensured his squad’s second consecutive blowout halftime margin didn’t disappear this time.
In all, he left no doubt the preseason betting odds projecting him as league MVP are on track.
For those who tuned in late to the NBA TV or Bally Sports Southwest broadcast, here’s what happened to start a game that quickly became a double-digit Dallas advantage:
Luka.
Luka.
More Luka.
Doncic scored the Mavericks’ first nine points in 3:11 and 16 of the first 20.
Those other two baskets?
Doncic assisted.
Only Tim Hardaway Jr.’s pair of free throws with about five minutes remaining in the opening period stopped Doncic’s production streak.
But the Grizzlies couldn’t stop the Mavericks.
Doncic scored 21 points in the first eight minutes to help Dallas lead 39-17 at the end of the first quarter. While he rested to start the second, the Mavericks’ second unit extended the advantage to 25 points (45-20) — at the time their largest of the season — when Maxi Kleber hit a corner 3-pointer about nine minutes before halftime.
Doncic picked apart double- and triple-teams. He backed down Grizzlies defenders to score with easy lay-ups under the rim. He hit four of his first six 3-point attempts, an outing after shooting 2 of 10 from deep against Phoenix.
And he grinned as teammates piled on, too.
Sixth-man center Christian Wood became the first Maverick to score 25 points in his first two games with the franchise and added 12 rebounds in 25 minutes. His most impressive highlight: finishing a one-handed alley-oop slam in the third quarter off Doncic’s block-to-spin-in-transition lob.
Meanwhile, Dorian Finney-Smith multiple times chased down Morant and swatted his drives to the basket, Tim Hardaway Jr. hit a buzzer 3-pointer to end the third quarter with a 28-point lead and Spencer Dinwiddie added 15 points, including three threes.
All 14 active Mavericks and two-way signees — excluding Davis Bertans (right knee effusion), Frank Ntilikina (right ankle effusion) and Facundo Campazzo (work visa issue) — took the court.
Shades of the positive vibes and dominant nature of the first half against the Suns, for sure.
But immediately after that disappointing opener, Doncic and the Mavericks identified why they wilted from 16-point halftime leaders in Phoenix to lose by 2 in clutch time.
They “relaxed” at halftime, Doncic said.
Too “complacent” with a big lead, Wood added.
Not again.
The only concern came less than two minutes into the third quarter, when Doncic fought through traffic under the rim for a putback tap — which JaVale McGee converted after Doncic’s look bounced off the rim.
Doncic fell to the court and limped when we stood, favoring and grabbing at his left knee over the next few possessions.
But a couple minutes later, the Grizzlies moved too slow to nab possession of a block on Dinwiddie.
In came Doncic for a quick grab and his first dunk of the season.
Quite a statement from the less talkative of MVP contenders in the building.
Morant, who tallied 20 points and four assists Saturday, has been outspoken about his goal to win league MVP this season, declaring his intent and path in a televised ESPN interview.
But a night after he dropped the second-most points of his career (49 in a win over the Houston Rockets), the Mavericks corralled the Grizzlies’ fast-paced attack and exploited their defensive voids with starters Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks out with injury.
Doncic, meanwhile, has responded almost sheepishly to questions about possible awards.
“(If) people believe you can win MVP, that’s a good thing,” Doncic said Friday. “Uh, like I said, first we’ve got to win games just to be in consideration for MVP.”
One down.
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