Mavs’ Luka Doncic Has Historic NBA Playoff Debut in Loss to Clippers

Doncic's 42 points were not enough as Dallas fell to the Clippers 118-110

Luka Doncic Has Historic NBA Playoff Debut in Loss
Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is pressured by Reggie Jackson #1 and JaMychal Green #4. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty)
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Second-year Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic had more points in his NBA playoff debut than any other player in league history, but it wasn’t enough to get a win to close out the first day of the postseason in the bubble.

Doncic went off for 42 points but also had 11 turnovers in a game the Los Angeles Clippers led 10-0 and went on to win 118-110  over the Dallas Mavericks.

Kawhi Leonard had 29 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Clippers, and LA got some help when Kristaps Porzingis was ejected for picking up his second technical foul in the third quarter. Doncic, who also had nine assists and seven rebounds, did his best to compensate for the loss of Porzingis, but in the end it wasn’t enough.

“He’s a fighter. He’s always going to battle. He will never get discouraged,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “I thought his performance was spectacular when you factor in everything and how often he’s getting hit fouled, held and everything else.”

John Williamson’s 38 points in 1979 for the Nets were the previous record for most in an NBA playoff debut.

Elsewhere in The Association during the first day of the playoffs, Jayson Tatum had 32 points to lead the Boston Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 109-101, Fred VanVleet scored 30 points to push the Toronto Raptors past the Brooklyn Nets 134-110 and Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets had 36 points in a 135-125 overtime win over Utah and Donovan Mitchell, who went off for a Jazz playoff-record 57 points.

The NBA playoffs continue with four more games today.

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