Luka Doncic Drops Career-High 51 Points in Mavericks' Win over Clippers

From the start of Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic left no doubt that he was on his way to a special night.

Doncic set a new career high with 51 points to lead Dallas to a 112-105 victory against Los Angeles. The 22-year-old shot 17-of-26 from the field (65.3 percent) and added nine rebounds and six assists. He scored 28 points with seven three-pointers in the first quarter alone.

Doncic carried the Mavericks on his back on Thursday night. No other player on the team had more than 12 points and only three others reached double figures.

The events ahead of Thursday's trade deadline could have given Doncic an extra pep in his step. Dallas shipped Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.

The move ends a shaky partnership between Doncic and Porzingis, who showed flashes of brilliance together but never sustained it. Doncic is now the undoubted leader of the Mavericks.

Dallas is in fifth place in the Western Conference and improved to 33-23 with the victory, which was its fourth straight. The Mavericks have topped 100 points in each of their last eight games. 

The win exacted some revenge for Dallas, considering it has been eliminated in the playoffs by Los Angeles in each of the last two seasons. Doncic will have another chance to pour it on against the Clippers as the two teams will face each other again on Saturday to complete a back-to-back in Dallas.