Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks scored 51 points and had two rebounds and two free throws in the final 4.5 seconds to help the team secure a 126-125 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
This marks the Mavericks' sixth consecutive win and Doncic's third 50-point outing in the past five games. He also had 60 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists in an overtime victory over the Knicks on Tuesday night. Doncic is the first player in NBA history to have 250 points, 50 rebounds, and 50 assists over a five-game span. His teammates Christian Wood and Keldon Johnson both scored 25 and 30 points, respectively.
Despite leading by 17 points earlier in the game, the Dallas Mavericks had to fight to maintain their lead against the San Antonio Spurs in the final minute. Tre Jones of the Spurs was fouled by Dallas's Davis Bertans and made one of two free throws, narrowing the Mavericks' lead to 126-124. Luka Doncic of the Mavericks then missed two free throws with 1.5 seconds remaining, which prevented the Spurs from attempting a game-winning shot. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd praised Doncic's performance, stating that he "bailed [the team] out again" despite missing the late free throws.
Jones scored 18 points in the game. In response to Doncic's impressive scoring performance, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich jokingly pledged that Doncic would be held to under 50 points. Doncic almost played along with the joke and almost scored under 50 points, finishing with 51.
When asked about his 51-point performance, Doncic stated that his primary focus was on getting a win for the Mavericks. He did acknowledge, however, that scoring 51 points was a nice bonus. Doncic reached the 50-point mark for the fourth time in his career by making two free throws with 4.5 seconds remaining in the game. He dominated the Spurs with a variety of shots, including step-back jumpers, 3-pointers, and free throws, finishing the game with a field goal percentage of 18 out of 28.