About Last Night

About Last Night: Luka Doncic vs. Trae Young, Chapter 1

Steph Curry erupts for 51 points in three quarters; Kawhi Leonard pulls off no-look steal

Lonny Krasnow, NBA.com

Traded for each other on Draft night, Luka Doncic and Trae Young will forever be linked.

In their first regular-season showdown, Doncic scored 12 points in the first quarter as the Mavs built a 42-22 lead. The Mavs led by 26 early in the second quarter as Young struggled from the field and picked up his second and third fouls.

The script flipped in the second half, though, as the Hawks mounted an epic comeback. While Kent Bazemore did the heavy lifting (career-high 32 points), Young delivered in crunch time, scoring 12 of his 17 points in the final quarter and getting to the line over and over again. Final score: Hawks 111, Mavericks 104.

Doncic finished with 21 points, but hit only 3 of 10 shots over the final two quarters.

We’ll get another look at Doncic vs. Young when the Hawks visit the Mavs on Dec. 12.

Curry drops 51 in three quarters

Stephen Curry just shrugged and grinned as the shots kept falling, scoring 51 points and finishing with 11 3-pointers in only three quarters of the Warriors’ 144-122 victory against the Wizards.

Curry scored 31 in the first half and finished with his sixth career 50-point game. His third 3-pointer of the night moved him past Jamal Crawford (2,153) for fifth place on the NBA’s career list.

Curry’s most impressive shot of the night, a ridiculous underhand circus shot that almost reached the rafters, didn’t even count toward his totals.

Kawhi’s no-look steal

Kawhi Leonard has been absolutely dominant for the Toronto Raptors, who are off to a 5-0 start after beating the Timberwolves 112-105.

What makes Leonard special is his defense, and what we saw last night deserves another look.

Anticipating a backdoor pass from Gorgui Dieng to Jimmy Butler, Leonard dove with his back to the ball and stopped the pass with his arm. Leonard then secured the ball before looking for an outlet pass to a teammate as if he did nothing out of the ordinary.

Stat of the night

Giannis Antetokounmpo, who posted his 10th career triple-double in the Bucks’ 123-108 win over the Sixers, is the first player since Wilt Chamberlain (in 1965-66) to record four straight 25-point, 15-rebound games to open a team’s season.

I believe I can fly

Michael Jordan was trending on Twitter not long after Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi struck a familiar pose while making a spectacular catch during Game 2 of the World Series. #AirBenny

Worth noting

• Zach LaVine joined Michael Jordan as the only Bulls to start a season with four consecutive 30+ point games

• Curry (51), Kevin Durant (30), and Klay Thompson (19) combined for 100 points Wednesday night. The last trio to score 100 points in a game: Kobe Bryant (61), Pau Gasol (31) and Trevor Ariza (13) on Feb. 2, 2009 at New York

• DeAndre Jordan became the first player in Mavs history to start a season with four consecutive double-doubles since Roy Tarpley in 1990-91

• The Cavaliers are 0-4 for the first time since losing their first five games in 2003-04 — when LeBron James was a rookie.

Trivia question

Who are the only active NBA players drafted in the 1990s?

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Answer: Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki

Carter, who turns 42 in January, is averaging 7.8 points in about 20 minutes per game for the Hawks, while Nowitzki, 41, continues to slowly recover from April surgery on his left ankle.

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