Luka Doncic Named Player of the Week
DALLAS – The NBA announced today that Mavericks guard Luka Dončić was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, Dec. 19 through Sunday, Dec. 25, marking the first time this season and the eighth time in his career he has received the honor.
Dončić (6-7, 230) led the Mavericks to a 3-1 week with averages of 31.5 points (.494 FG%, .429 3FG%, .818 FT%), 8.0 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 2.3 steals in 36.8 minutes per game.
The 23-year-old poured in a season-high (game-high) 50 points (17-30 FG, 6-12 3FG, 10-12 FT) to go along with a team-high eight rebounds, a game-high 10 assists and a game-high-tying three steals in 42 minutes in Dallas’ 112-106 win at Houston on Dec. 23. Dončić became the fourth player in NBA history (since steals were first recorded in 1973-74) to total at least 50 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists and three steals in a game, joining James Harden (twice), LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. It marked the second 50-point game of his career (51, vs. L.A. Clippers, Feb. 10, 2022) and he joined Dirk Nowitzki as the only Mavericks to record multiple 50-point efforts.
With his 50-point night at Houston, the three-time All-Star also surpassed Mark Aguirre (4) for the most 45-point games in Mavericks history while breaking a tie with Nowitzki (20) for the second-most 40-point efforts in team history. Dončić also passed Nowitzki (37) for the most 35-point double-doubles in franchise history against the Rockets.
Dončić capped the week by tallying a team-high 32 points (9-16 FG, 2-3 3FG, 12-16 FT) to go along with a game-high nine rebounds, a game-high nine assists and two steals in the Mavericks’ 124-115 win over the Lakers on Christmas Day. It marked the highest-scoring effort by a Maverick on Christmas Day ever. The previous record was held by Nowitzki (31, at Sacramento, 2003), who was honored with a statue outside American Airlines Center prior to the game.
For the season, Dončić is averaging team highs of 32.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game in 31 games (all starts). He ranks in the top 10 in scoring (2nd, 32.8 ppg), assists (4th, 8.7 apg) and steals (T-6th, 1.68 spg), and the top 30 in rebounds (26th, 8.3 rpg). Dončić leads the NBA or is tied for the league lead in 20-point games (30), 30-point games (23), 35-point efforts (13) and 40-point outings (6). He has also produced an NBA-best five 30-point triple-doubles (6 triple-doubles overall), a league-high 22 30-point, five-rebound, five assist games, and an NBA-best 29 20-5-5 efforts.
The 6-7 guard scored 30-plus points in each of Dallas’ first nine games in 2022-23, the second-longest 30-point streak to begin a season in NBA history (Wilt Chamberlain, 23 games, 1962-63). Dončić also scored 20-plus points in a career-high 36 straight games spanning the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons (March 25 to Dec. 16, 2022), the longest 20-point streak in franchise history.
Dončić’s eight career Player of the Week awards have all come since 2019-20, the most by any Western Conference player over the past four seasons and the third-most by any player overall during that stretch (Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo has earned 10 and Boston’s Jayson Tatum has garnered 9). Nowitzki (16 times) is the only Maverick to win the weekly honor more times.
Dončić’ has led the Mavericks (18-16) to three straight wins. Dallas has gone 13-5 at American Airlines Center this season, marking its best home start through 18 games since 2018-19 (Dallas started 15-3 at home that year).
