Jason Kidd Says Luka Dončić 'Is the Gameplan' After Mavs Star Scores 73 vs. Hawks

Mavericks star Luka Dončić put together a historic 73-point performance in Dallas' 148-143 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, and head coach Jason Kidd made sure to reiterate to reporters after the game that everything runs through his point guard.

"He is the game plan," Kidd said. "... His ability to make shots, create shots, find open guys, he did that at a high level tonight."

Dončić finished the game shooting 25-of-33 from the field and 8-of-13 from three-point range in 45 minutes. He also notched 10 rebounds, seven assists and one steal in the win.

The Slovenian already owned the Mavericks' all-time single-game scoring record, but his big night reset his career-high in scoring and also made him just the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 73 points.

Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and David Thompson are the only other players to score at least 73 points in a game.

Dončić is also the first European player and the 10th player in league history to reach the 70-point mark. Elgin Baylor, Donovan Mitchell, David Robinson, Damian Lillard, Devin Booker and Joel Embiid are the others to accomplish the feat.

In a normal week, Dončić's 73-point night would be front and center, but this hasn't been a normal week in the NBA.

Embiid recorded his 70-point game in the Philadelphia 76ers' 133-123 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. He also notched 18 rebounds and five assists in the victory.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns also dropped 62 points in a 128-125 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Booker had a 62-point night of his own on Friday in the Phoenix Suns' 133-131 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

While the likes of Embiid and Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić are atop the MVP ladder, it's still hard to ignore what Dončić has been able to accomplish this season. He entered Friday's game averaging 33.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 9.3 assists in 37 games while shooting 48.2 percent from the floor and 37.3 percent from deep.

If the 24-year-old can vault the Mavericks into playoff contention through the second half of the season, he should be among the top candidates for the MVP honor.