Luka Doncic

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is the latest NBA player to speak out against the league's decision to adopt a play-in tournament to determine the final two playoff teams in each conference.

Speaking to reporters after Monday's 113-95 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Doncic explained that he doesn't "understand the idea of a play-in" because of how it devalues regular-season performance.

"You play 72 games to get into the playoffs; then maybe you lose two in a row and you're out of the playoffs. So I don't see the point of that," he said.

Doncic isn't the only notable player who has been critical of the NBA's new playoff format.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green told reporters earlier this month that competing for a spot in the play-in tournament "doesn't motivate me at all."

In an effort to increase competitive balance, the NBA has adopted a four-team tournament before the playoffs that will determine the No. 7 and 8 seeds in the Eastern and Western Conference.

The teams ranked seven through 10 by winning percentage in their respective conference at the end of the regular season will be included in the play-in tournament. The No. 7 and 8 seeds will play one game, with the winner getting the seventh seed in the playoffs.

The loser of the No. 7-8 game will play the winner of the game between the teams ranked ninth and 10th. The winner of that game will be the No. 8 seed in the postseason.

The Mavs are currently the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference with a 29-24 record. They're two games back of the Portland Trail Blazers for the sixth seed.

Luka Doncic continues to prove he is one of the best overall players in basketball and his latest rating in NBA 2K21 reflects his skill set.

The video game released a ratings update Thursday, featuring the Dallas Mavericks star gaining one point on his rating to sit at 94 overall. With averages of 28.5 points, 8.7 assists and 8.2 rebounds per game, it's hard to deny his abilities in his third season.

Another young player who continues to rise in the rankings is New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson, who jumped on spot up to 90 overall.

A hot stretch from Orlando Magic forward Chuma Okeke led to a four-point jump in his rating. The 2019 No. 16 draft pick moved into the starting lineup late last month and is averaging 15 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals over his last eight games.

On the other end of the spectrum is Boston Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who each dropped a point as the team struggles to keep up in the Eastern Conference standings.

Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington dropped three points to become a 77.

Notable Ratings Changes

Luka Doncic: 94 OVR (+1)

Zion Williamson: 90 OVR (+1)

Jayson Tatum: 89 OVR (-1)

Jaylen Brown: 88 OVR (-1)

Paul George: 88 OVR (-1)

Bam Adebayo: 88 OVR (+1)

Karl-Anthony Towns: 88 OVR (+1)

Russell Westbrook: 88 OVR (+1)

Julius Randle: 87 OVR (-1)

Jrue Holiday: 87 OVR (+1)

De'Aaron Fox: 87 OVR (+1)

Ben Simmons: 86 OVR (-1)

Domantas Sabonis: 86 OVR (-1)

Fred VanVleet: 84 OVR (-1)

Christian Wood: 84 OVR (-1)

Michael Porter Jr.: 84 OVR (+1)

Kevin Love: 80 OVR (-2)

Carmelo Anthony: 79 OVR (-1)

Darius Garland: 79 OVR (+2)

Bogdan Bogdanović: 79 OVR (+3)

Kelly Olynyk: 78 OVR (+4)

P.J. Washington: 77 OVR (-3)

Moses Brown: 77 OVR (+3)

Chuma Okeke: 76 OVR (+4)

Thanasis Antetokounmpo: 75 OVR (+3)

Jaden McDaniels: 75 OVR (+3)

The Dallas Mavericks won their second game in a row with a 113-108 defeat of the Boston Celtics on Wednesday at TD Garden.

Luka Doncic posted 36 points—with 24 coming in the first half—for the Mavericks, who improved to 25-21 to hold on to the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

For the 23-25 Celtics, who are hanging on to a playoff spot by a thread, Jayson Tatum logged 25 points with nine rebounds.

Notable Performers

• Luka Doncic, Mavericks: 36 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST
• Jayson Tatum, Celtics: 25 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL
• Jaylen Brown, Celtics: 24 PTS, 4 REB, 4 STL
• Kristaps Porzingis, Mavericks: 19 PTS, 8 REB

Doncic Dominates in 1st Half

The Celtics were chasing the Mavericks as early as the second minute of play, and Doncic single-handedly put things out of reach quickly.

He ended the first half with 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field, including an impressive 5-of-6 from three.

The Mavericks outshot the Celtics from deep, going 13-of-23 from beyond the arc, but Doncic alone did better than the Celtics from far out, as Boston only hit four of 24 shot attempts from three.

None of the other Mavericks players recorded double-digit scoring in the first half, with Kristaps Porzingis and Jalen Brunson each tacking on nine, but they didn't need to do more than they were already considering Dallas led by as much as 22 points and closed the half up 64-45.

The Celtics defense came alive in the middle of the third, limiting Doncic to just seven more points in the frame, but Porzingis was there, bringing his total to 19 to further bury Boston.

By the end, Doncic's 36 points and eight rebounds, combined with a near-double-double from both Porzingis and Dorian Finney-Smith (11 PTS, 9 REB), helped stave off a late Celtics charge for the win.

Celtics Can't Complete Climb Back

Doncic's strong start put the Celtics behind early, as the team couldn't counter with his offensive power on either side of the ball.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 12 points at the break, while Tatum only had nine, and he had a game-low minus-23 rating at the half.

As for defense, Marcus Smart and Luke Kornet each blocked one shot and Brown had two steals, but the Celtics' small-ball lineup couldn't break the high-flying Doncic.

Days after Evan Fournier had a miserable debut, shooting 0-of-10 from the field, it was Moritz Wagner's turn to have a less-than-ideal start to his Celtics career, as he didn't attempt a shot and turned the ball over twice in his 7:19 on the hardwood in the first half.

Boston used an 8-0 run midway through the third to pull in closer, and they started the fourth on a 6-2 run as they eventually made it a 10-point game with under 10 minutes to go—with Tatum and Brown on the sidelines for much of it and Kemba Walker leading the charge.

Tatum finally got in on the fun late in the game, as he turned two steals into buckets and helped the Celtics as they went on to score five points in eight seconds, giving them a two-point deficit with 16.4 seconds left to play.

But it was just too little, too late. The Celtics ended the night with 41.5 shooting from the field and a mediocre 23.4 percent from three against the eighth-worst defense in the league.

What's Next?

Both teams are back in action Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Celtics will host the Houston Rockets, while the Mavericks will continue their East Coast road swing against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic will not play against the Indiana Pacers on Friday because of lower back tightness, head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters on Friday.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon relayed that the team hopes Doncic can return Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The 22-year-old has averaged 28.6 points, 9.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game in his third season with the Mavs, who currently hold a 23-19 record that places them seventh in the Western Conference.

The nightly triple-double threat, two-time All-Star and 2019-20 All-NBA first-team member has excelled once again in his third NBA season. 

Naturally, the Mavs have struggled without him in the past, going 7-7 during Doncic's 14 missed games last year and 36-25 otherwise. A sprained ankle kept him out for 11 of those 14 games in December, January and February of the 2019-20 season.

The Slovenian hasn't missed much time in 2020-21, though. A quad contusion kept him out of a Jan. 3 matchup with the Chicago Bulls, and lower back tightness forced him to the sidelines against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 3. He also sat March 11 against the Thunder (right ankle).

Otherwise, he had been healthy en route to being named an All-Star starter for the second straight year.

Without Doncic, the Mavs should turn toward Jalen Brunson to handle point guard duties. The Villanova product is averaging 12.3 points and 3.3 assists per game. Trey Burke could get more minutes off the bench as well.

Kristaps Porzingis should assume more of a scoring and usage load, and the same goes for Tim Hardaway Jr. off the bench.

Luka Doncic posted 42 points on 16-of-28 shooting (6-of-11 from three-point range) as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 105-89 at home in American Airlines Center on Wednesday.

All five Mavericks starters scored in double figures with Kristaps Porzingis adding an 11-point, 13-rebound double-double. Dallas shot 50.6 percent from the field.

Paul George led L.A. with 28 points, and Kawhi Leonard contributed 20 more for the Clippers, who played without starting point guard Patrick Beverley (knee) and center Serge Ibaka (back).

The 21-18 Mavs led 77-71 going into the fourth quarter and never led by fewer than six points in the final 12 minutes en route to their sixth win in eight games. The 26-16 Clippers have lost five of seven games.

Notable Performances

Mavericks PG Luka Doncic: 42 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds

Mavericks C Kristaps Porzingis: 11 points, 13 rebounds

Mavericks G Josh Richardson: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals

Clippers F Paul George: 28 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists

Clippers F Kawhi Leonard: 20 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists

Clippers C Ivica Zubac: 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals

Luka Magic Strikes Again

The Mavericks' 9-14 start is far in the rearview mirror now. The team is getting healthy at the right time, and Luka Doncic is playing MVP-level basketball for a dangerous squad moving its way up the Western Conference standings.

The Clippers had virtually no chance to stop the scorching-hot Doncic on Wednesday night, and he was excellent on both ends. In addition to his efficient scoring night, he also had five combined steals and blocks, nine dimes and six boards.

He was a human highlight reel yet again as a Dallas win became a mere formality down the stretch.

He casually pulled up for three to get Dallas going early on.

Doncic routinely got the better of a star defender in George. In this instance, it was en route to finding Porzingis for a lob:

He took care of business himself with a four-point play.

Doncic didn't need much space to operate Wednesday night. He took advantage of a switch between George and Reggie Jackson to hoist a deep three when given a little breathing room.

And sometimes he just created his own path to find teammates for more highlights, like this lob to Maxi Kleber for a jam:

But ultimately, Doncic was the star of the show, and this was arguably the best moment of them all:

The Mavs are now 12-4 in their last 16 games. They look far more like the team that gave the Clippers a run for their money despite injuries (and questionable officiating) in last year's playoffs than the franchise that started so slowly this year.

With Doncic, anything could be possible in 2020-21. But for now, the Mavs are focused on stacking wins in the second half of the year.

What's Next?

Dallas will visit the Portland Trail Blazers for a two-game road set beginning Friday at 10 p.m. ET. L.A. is headed home to face the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET.

People simply can't stop buying LeBron James jerseys.

The Los Angeles Lakers star has the highest-selling jersey through the first half of the 2020-21 season, according to the NBA. Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors follow behind:

The sales were tabulated on the NBA's official online store. James was also atop the list for the most popular jerseys from January to October 2020.

You might expect LeBron to reach a saturation point since he's in his 18th season in the league and third year with Los Angeles. Rolling out new jersey variants undoubtedly helps, with the Lakers unveiling their "Earned Edition" uniform on Wednesday:

Not surprisingly, the Lakers were the No. 1 team in merchandise sales. Winning an NBA championship will always help the bottom line.

This time next year, L.A. could have some stiff competition from the Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets had three players in the top 10 for jersey sales (Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden). Between having Harden for a full season and whatever the team accomplishes in the playoffs, Brooklyn is poised to be a commercial juggernaut.

The Dallas Mavericks are starting to look like the contenders so many expected to see at the beginning of the season.

Dallas defeated the San Antonio Spurs 115-104 in Wednesday's Western Conference showdown at American Airlines Center. Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis led the way for the victors, who improved to 19-16 overall and 10-2 in their last 12 games with a fourth consecutive win.

An impressive showing from DeMar DeRozan was not enough for the Spurs, who fell to 18-15 on the season with their second straight loss.

Notable Player Stats

• Luka Doncic, PG, DAL: 22 PTS, 12 AST, 12 REB
• Kristaps Porzingis, C, DAL: 28 PTS, 14 REB
• DeMar DeRozan, F, SA: 30 PTS, 11 AST, 4 STL
• Rudy Gay, F, SA: 13 PTS, 9 REB

Luka, Porzingis Overwhelm Spurs in Dallas Victory

Dallas entered Wednesday's game on a roll because of one major and expected reason.

Doncic may be playing catch-up in the MVP race to the likes of LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry and others, but he averaged 30.3 points, 8.3 assists and 7.1 rebounds in February while reaching the 40-point mark three different times.

He is as dialed-in as any player in the league, but Patty Mills made a point of picking him up full-court in the early going and making him work for any open looks. The result was just six points to five turnovers in the first half for the two-time All-Star as Dallas found itself in an initial hole.

It is a testament to Doncic's greatness that he still found ways to impact the game by battling for boards and dishing out assists on his way to a triple-double even when he was struggling with his shot, which helped keep the home team well within striking distance despite a slow start.

He found his scoring touch in the third quarter by taking Mills off the dribble and posting him up at times. Porzingis also helped put the Mavericks ahead by controlling the glass, cutting to the rim, finishing lobs from Doncic and demonstrating soft touch on the inside against an overmatched San Antonio frontcourt. 

That pair was ultimately too much for the Spurs as they stretched a narrow two-point advantage to double digits in the final minutes with a sequence that included the point guard finding the big man for a dunk with a lob and a three-pointer with a behind-the-back pass.

Porzingis also converted an and-1, and Doncic put the game away with a floater and three-pointer to drive home the point that he was the best player on the floor.

DeMar DeRozan's Impressive Showing Not Enough for Spurs

The Spurs' transition season continued Wednesday even before tip-off.

Head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters the team and seven-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge mutually agreed to part ways. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported San Antonio is exploring potential trades involving the veteran, further underscoring a transition to a core of young players such as Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Derrick White and Lonnie Walker IV.

It isn't all about the youngsters just yet, though, as DeRozan was dominant out of the gates.

He staked the Spurs to a seven-point halftime lead by getting inside the lane, hitting from mid-range and setting up his teammates while running the offense at times as a de facto point forward. Throw in Rudy Gay providing a spark off the bench with his red-hot shooting from the outside and the veterans were dialed in for a Spurs team looking to start the season's stretch run on the right foot.

DeRozan continued his offensive brilliance in the second half while pouring in points from inside the lane.

While San Antonio lost its lead heading into the fourth, the Mavericks had no answer for the four-time All-Star and were forced to send additional defenders his way. That helped open up looks for the supporting cast, and Mills, Johnson, Murray and Walker all took advantage as six visitors finished in double figures while DeRozan posted a double-double with his points and assists.

Still, even with DeRozan doing what he could to match the Doncic-Porzingis combination in crunch time by continuing to apply pressure to Dallas' interior defense, San Antonio didn't have the firepower around him to keep pace with multiple stars down the stretch.

What's Next? 

The Mavericks visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, while the Spurs host the Orlando Magic on Friday.