Harden high on Luka, in spite of weak beard
On one end of the floor, Luka Doncic spins off his man, drives down the lane and euro-steps around James Harden for the easy basket. On the other, Harden lulls his man to sleep, one flurry of crossovers after another, before stepping back for a contested three that borders on equal parts un-guardable and flat-out unfair.
Watching Doncic and Harden go toe-to-toe at Barclays
Center on Saturday was like the viral meme of two Spidermen pointing at one another. Doncic finished with 27 points, seven assists and the victory, while Harden recorded 29 points and six assists in a superstar showdown that substantiated the similarities between the two offensive masterminds.
“Both of these guys are great one-onone players,” Mavericks coach Rick
Carlisle said. “They’re great passers. They can both play the team movement game very well. Harden has been in a situation the last few years where the offense has really revolved around him, and our team it does around Luka similarly, but our style is a little bit different than Houston and Brooklyn, but both of these guys are generational type players. There’s no question about it, and that’s another thing that makes a game like this very compelling.”
Harden agreed there are similarities between his game and Doncic’s, specifically that Doncic plays at his own pace.
“He never lets anyone speed him up, and he gets what he wants,” Harden said. “That’s rare for a guy at a young age. I think he’s 21 years old. And to be able to dictate the game and control the game like he does, we all know he has a very, very bright future. The Mavs got a special one.”
The Mavericks do, indeed, have a special one. Doncic is an All-Star starter for the second consecutive year and is only in his third NBA season.
“If you look at Luka he poses every challenge in the book,” Nets coach Steve Nash said. “He scores, he draws fouls, he makes plays for teammates at an elite level. Incredible size for a player of his skill and play-making ability so he can beat you in a number of ways. He also has the personality to win games.”
That stat line is eerily comparable to Harden’s, who has emerged as an MVP candidate by captaining the Nets’ eight-game winning streak. The Beard is averaging 25 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds since his trade to the Nets, leaving Doncic nearly speechless as the former league MVP praised his game.
“I think it’s amazing. It’s something you can’t describe if somebody like that says something about you,” Doncic said. “It’s just amazing. I really appreciate it. I watch him. He’s an unbelievable player and just really special.”