Luka Doncic saved his best performance for last in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday night, scoring 20 of his 36 points in the first quarter to stun the Minnesota Timberwolves in front of their home fans and lead the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA. Appearance in finals since 2011.
So far in the postseason, the Slovenian leads all players in points (489), rebounds (164), assists (150), steals (28), field goals made (166), triples made (57) and shots made. free scores (100).
Minnesota fans booed Luka Doncic as he spoke after winning conference finals MVP. Luka then booed them. pic.twitter.com/vS7aDKuHs6
-Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 31, 2024
Here are some other mind-blowing numbers from Doncic and how he ranks among the best players ever:
— Doncic is the first player in NBA history to record 450 points, 150 rebounds, 150 assists and 50 three-pointers in a single playoffs.
— He is fourth in NBA history with 25 playoff games with at least 30 points before turning 26, only behind LeBron James (35), Kevin Durant (33) and Kobe Bryant (32).
The NBA is so lucky that Luka Doncic doesn’t take his diet seriously. pic.twitter.com/hHwZKMQ7bf
– Juan (@iam_johnw) May 31, 2024
– Doncic has nine triple-doubles in 45 career playoff games, ninth all-time. The only active players with more are LeBron (28 in 287 games) and Nikola Jokic (18 in 80 games). Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is fifth with 11 in 158 career playoff games.
– Luka is third all-time with 155 3-pointers in the playoffs before turning 26, behind only Boston duo Jayson Tatum (224) and Jaylen Brown (166).
– Ranks 10th all-time in playoff assists before turning 26, although he is fifth in assists per game among those with at least 300 postseason assists (8.2).
Luka appears to have two radically different modes: the playful smiling fool and the murderous poltergeist. https://t.co/1R4FRydV0J
– J. Kyle Mann (@jkylemann) May 31, 2024
— Doncic ranks second in NBA history with an average of 31.1 points per game in the postseason, only behind Michael Jordan (33.4).
– Ranks seventh in average playoff player efficiency rating, or PER (25.8), among players with at least 30 career postseason games, behind Jokic (29.2), Jordan (28 .6), George Mikan (28.5), LeBron (27.9), Anthony. Davis (26.6) and Shaquille O’Neal (26.1).
Luka tonight: pic.twitter.com/BIwR24rAXN
-MFFL (@Mavs_FFL) May 31, 2024
— Luka’s average of 32.2 points per game in the Conference Finals is the first in NBA history among players with at least 10 games played.
– Doncic’s 20 points in the first quarter of Game 5 weren’t even his most points in a quarter in his Conference Finals career. He scored 21 points in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the 2022 Western Conference Finals against the Warriors.
