DALLAS — The lead up to Christmas was a miserable stretch for the Dallas Mavericks as they entered the national spotlight on the NBA's annual coming out party.
Injuries to Dereck Lively II and Kyrie Irving left the team scrambling to fill those starters' shoes. And the season’s first three-game losing streak had Dallas desperately looking for some positive momentum and an uplifting of their Christmas spirit.
First, the Mavs found it with a 144-119 home win on Saturday against the lottery-bound San Antonio Spurs. That victory was a welcome respite for an ailing roster that saw six players, three of them starters, including All-World Luka Doncic, sit the previous night.
Then, the losing streak ended, the stage was set for the Mavs to return to the Christmas Day lineup to renew their rivalry with the Phoenix Suns.
It didn't look great on paper. On offense, the team could anticipate double-teams on the horizon for Doncic due to Irving’s continued absence. On defense, the Mavs would have to deal with a potent Suns offense (even while missing Bradley Beal).
Seemingly, it would take another monster serving of Luka Magic for the Mavs to have a chance at a road win in a hostile holiday environment.
Lest we forget, though: Doncic wants all the smoke.
The marquee matchup and continuation of Doncic’s on-court feud with Devin Booker and the Suns has made for great television -- especially for Mavs fans -- throughout the years. And this latest chapter did not disappoint.
After scoring 39 points in the win against San Antonio in his return to the lineup, it was apparent early on in this Christmas matchup that Luka was going to cook up something special. And boy did he! In fact, Doncic hit a historic milestone just halfway into the first quarter.
No one among active players has reached 10,000 points scored in a career in as few games as Doncic. He’s the fastest to do it since a guy named Michael Jordan, too.
Doncic has made basketball look easy throughout his entire career -- including his rookie year, when we cautiously wondered when he would crater out after a hot start.
The fall never came.
Rather, the rise has been swift and sustained with only the inconsistent or nonexistent efforts of his own team weighing him down.
Nothing was going to stop Doncic on this Christmas night.
Performances when the national camera crews are recording are where you make your legacy in this league, and this holiday showing was one for the mantle for Doncic. Scoring from anywhere he wanted on his road to 50 points, Doncic shot 50% from deep and a perfect 12-for-12 from the line as the Mavs beat the cratering Suns 128-114.
When Doncic was doubled -- and he was doubled often -- he passed to waiting teammates, some on insane darts, over the entire defense. In all, he added 15 assists on catch-and-shoots and lobs. Derrick Jones Jr. and Tim Hardaway particularly made the Suns pay for their Doncic double-teams, finishing with 23 and 18 points respectively on the night.
While the team has been on a “next man up” mentality as it fought through a grueling December, the eagerly anticipated return of Lively was a huge energy boost for the Mavs’ frontcourt on this night, too.
Dropping Lively back into the starting lineup was the best Christmas present that the team could have asked for, really. The rookie may have started the week in a walking boot, but he finished it with 10 hard-earned boards, often cleaning up after his teammates. Lively ended his night with 20 points, plenty of which came off Doncic lobs during his 32 minutes of work. It's just becoming clearer and clearer by the contest how important this first-rounder has already become to Dallas’ ability to win games.
Meanwhile, even during his historic offensive night, Doncic also showed up on the other side of the court: On defense, the four-time All-Star added four steals and three blocks in another clear example of his superior NBA MVP award candidacy. After a seemingly early rout, the game got close in the second half, but Doncic again closed it out when the Suns threatened, finishing with half a bill in a statement win during the holiday broadcast showcase.
With a couple of wins to rebound from their worst stretch thus far this season, Dallas remains in the thick of an absolutely loaded conference -- despite key injuries, too.
And it's all thanks to their 24-year-old mega star finding another gear.
Dallas now sits at 18-12 on the season, which is good enough for fifth place in the packed Western Conference as they get ready to close out the first half of the year.
The Mavs will look to make it three wins in a row in a home game against Cleveland on Wednesday before hitting the road against Conference leader Minnesota on Thursday.
Dallas will then bridge 2023 to 2024 on Saturday against a surging Golden State Warriors squad.
All along, they'll look to remain competitive during their wait for the return of their other All-Star guard, Kyrie Irving, flanking Luka in the starting lineup.
But, even with the Mavericks still not fully operational, 2024’s prospects cannot be understated so long as Doncic is performing at an MVP-caliber level.
Do you think the Mavericks are primed to rise in the West as they get healthier? Share your thoughts with Irvin on Twitter @Twittirv.