CLEVELAND — Luka Doncic made sure the Mavericks met their playoff-clinching expectations Wednesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
And then soon after they left the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse court, the Timberwolves held up their end of the postseason scenario, too.
Dallas’ 120-112 win over the Cavaliers coupled with Minnesota’s loss to Toronto ensured the Mavericks will finish among the top six seeds in the Western Conference.
They will not fall into the play-in tournament for the Nos. 7-10 spots, even if they lose their five remaining games, and will instead follow next week’s regular-season finale with a week of rest leading into their third consecutive Doncic-led playoff run.
How fitting for the benchmark to occur on a night Doncic’s performance in front of an adoring Slovenian crowd looked fit for postseason dominance.
The 23-year-old All-Star posted 35 points, nine rebounds, 13 assists, two blocks and one steal in 38 minutes while shooting 14 of 26 from the floor (53.8%) and 3 of 6 from three. He finished one rebound shy of his second 30-point triple-double in as many nights, while Dorian Finney-Smith added a career-high 28 points, including six 3-pointers.
Plenty for local Doncic fans to marvel about in what Finney-Smith jokingly dubbed “Luka’s second home.”
More than an hour before the opening tip, Doncic warmed up in front of scores of fans who paid him undivided attention, all on their feet. Many touted Slovenian flags, jerseys, scarves and apparel.
Cleveland is home to the largest Slovenian population in the U.S. — and anywhere outside Slovenia — and they made sure to give him another warm reception.
The crowd included one person of Slovenian heritage especially notable to Doncic.
Joey Tromba.
Doncic and Tomba first connected during his rookie year, shortly after Tromba was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Doncic learned about Tromba’s illness through a Twitter direct message from Tromba’s sister, and each time back in Cleveland since Doncic has made sure to reconnect. When the pandemic complicated face-to-face meetings last season, Doncic sent a long video.
Tromba and his family, decked out in Doncic and Slovenian gear, watched warm-ups courtside, and then Doncic greeted them with hugs, conversation and several photos.
And then he put on a show.
Doncic answered frequent double-teams in the first quarter with eight assists, including one swivel behind his back for a Finney-Smith three and another in a layup-fake, over-the-head motion out to Kleber on the arc.
The Cavaliers, led by Caris LeVert’s 32 points, capitalized on Dallas’ defensive lapses in the paint to score 37 points in the second quarter and lead until midway in the third.
But then came Doncic, Finney-Smith and coach Jason Kidd’s halftime reminder: “Who wants to play defense?”
Doncic logged his sixth dunk of the season on a third quarter steal in transition, two of his 20 points in the period. Finney-Smith hit three 3s, capping a few long possessions with chirps for the Cavaliers’ bench and courtside fans.
The two combined for 31 of the Mavericks’ 39 points in the period, transforming a six-point halftime deficit into an 11-point lead entering the fourth.
All the while, Slovenian music entertained fans during breaks in play, and the Cavaliers extended the Balkan entertainment presence with a Serbian dance group at halftime.
Cleveland — fighting for a top-6 seed in the East — might not have represented a true playoff-contending test without All-Star Jarrett Allen (fractured left finger) and Rookie of the Year favorite Evan Mobley (sprained left ankle), but the Mavericks were satisfied with several metrics by the end.
Point guard Brandon Knight — an early-season COVID replacement who re-signed Tuesday with Dallas on another 10-day contract — helped them overcome a shorthanded backcourt without Spencer Dinwiddie (back to back load management after January 2021 ACL surgery), Frank Ntilikina (right ankle sprain) and Trey Burke (not with the team).
Dallas followed Tuesday’s blowout win over the Lakers with their first 2-0 mark in a back to back since mid-January. The Mavericks won’t face another until next season with the playoff schedule more spaced.
Another positive note on a night full of them.
