When the week began, there had been just eight players in NBA history who reached the 70-point mark in a game.
Now, that number is up to 10.
Just days after Philadelphia 76ers reigning MVP Joel Embiid poured in 70 points against the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic had a historic scoring night of his own on Friday.
The five-time All-Star guard racked up 73 points, along with 10 rebounds and seven assists, in a 148-143 win over the Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Doncic's 73 points are tied for the fourth most in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, Kobe Bryant's 81-point game and Chamberlain's 78-point game. Chamberlain tallied 73 points twice, while David Thompson did it once.
The 24-year-old Doncic shot 25 of 33 from the field, 8-for-13 from 3-point range and 15 of 16 from the free throw line en route to his 73 points. Doncic, who logged 44:43 of playing time for the Kyrie Irving-less Mavs, is the first player ever to score at least 70 points while shooting 75% or better from the field.
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The performance tops Doncic's previous career high and Mavericks franchise record of 60 points, which he set in December 2022.
Doncic was actually on pace to crack the 80-point milestone at halftime after scoring 41 of Dallas' 66 points in the first half. He made 16 of 21 shots overall, including 5-for-8 from deep, in the first two quarters.
Following a 15-point third quarter from Doncic, the Hawks spent most of the fourth working to keep the ball out of his hands as they sent multiple defenders at him and guarded him closely off-ball. Doncic reached 65 points at the 10:24 mark of the fourth, but he scored just two points over the next seven-plus minutes of action.
Atlanta, however, ultimately couldn't prevent Doncic from joining the exclusive 70-point club.
With 67 points inside the final three minutes of regulation, Doncic converted a transition layup while being fouled to put himself on the brink of 70. He then hit the free throw to complete the three-point play and reach the historic milestone.
Then, after splitting a double-team, Doncic used another three-point play to hit the 73-point mark inside the final minute.
There have now been just 15 total 70-point games in NBA history and four of them have come within the last two seasons. Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard each scored 71 points last season, while Doncic and Embiid achieved the feat just days apart this week.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker both made runs at the 70-point milestone this week as well. Towns had a 44-point first half and finished with 62 points versus Charlotte the same night Embiid scored 70 Monday, while Booker had a 37-point first half and finished with 62 points versus Indiana on Friday.
