NBA Game Reviews: January 7, 2021

1. After a slow start, Luka Doncic is back as the MVP favorite, and the Mavs playoff chances rely on it

Luka Doncic is playing in his third NBA season at 21 years old. He burst onto the scene and grabbed the Rookie of the Year award in his first season, and took a huge leap last season, finishing third for the Most Improved Player award and fourth in MVP voting. Luka entered this season as the favorite to win the MVP, and finally proved why on Thursday, in a 124-117 OT victory over the Nuggets.

Luka did it all on national TV in an OT thriller, scoring 38 points, racking up 13 assists, and bringing down nine boards. He assisted the go-ahead three-pointer in regulation and scored nine of the Mavs’ 15 points in the extra period, leading them to victory in a game that was as important as any early regular season game could be. The Mavericks would’ve dropped to 3-5 with a loss, but they instead sit at 4-4, they grabbed a huge win over a Western Conference contender, and they got some momentum going into their next couple games where they hope to get All-Star Kristaps Porzingis back from injury.

2. The Nets are the deepest team in the East and can endure short-term absences from their stars 

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The Nets did not have Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant on Thursday, in a matchup with the NBA’s best 76ers (7-1 entering the day). Durant continues to quarantine due to health and safety protocols, while Irving sat out Thursday’s game for personal reasons. The odds were stacked against first-year Head Coach Steve Nash and his short-handed team, yet they took it to the Sixers, in a dominant 13-point victory that didn’t look as close as the final score may show. 

Caris LeVert, who showed out in the bubble last year as a budding star for this team, led the starters with 22 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds, while Joe Harris, who Nash elected to bring off the bench their last two games (both wins), scored 28 points, including six three-pointers as the primary scorer of the second unit. Also in double figures was Jeff Green, Taurean Prince, and Jarrett Allen, who Nash inserted into the starting lineup their last two games, both of which he put up a double-double.

Brooklyn has demonstrated through their back-to-back wins without KD — and now without Kyrie as well — that they may be the deepest team in the East. This depth will play a key role in maintaining the health of their stars, while keeping the team afloat during this unprecedented year. However, chemistry is an important aspect of the game, and the Nets must find time for KD, Kyrie, and the rest of their squad to gel. If the Nets want a real shot at a championship this season, they need KD and Kyrie to suit up for as many games as they can, especially during the second-half of the year or they could end up like the Clippers did last season.

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