NBA legend Magic Johnson has seen enough from the Dallas Mavericks to be convinced that Luka Doncic and Co. are dangerous playoff contenders.
The Los Angeles Lakers icon said as much on Sunday after witnessing the Mavericks take down the Denver Nuggets at the buzzer.
Dallas Mavericks Stun Denver Nuggets in Buzzer-Beating Fashion
The Mavericks were the talk of the town on Sunday afternoon after Kyrie Irving delivered the game-winner to edge the Nuggets, 107-105.
It was a tight battle all game long between Dallas and Denver, as it featured 13 lead changes. The Mavs went up by as much as 13 points, but the Nuggets would always come back to make life hard for the home team. In fact, when Doncic and Co. were ahead by nine with less than five minutes remaining, Jokic and his squad clawed their way back to take the 105-102 advantage with 28 seconds to go.
Unfortunately for the Nuggets, a Doncic triple with 25 seconds left tied things up. And after Jamal Murray missed a jumper to take the lead, the Mavs saw the chance to win.
With less than three seconds remaining, Maxi Kleber inbounded the ball following a timeout and passed it to Irving. The one-time champion didn’t waste any time and quickly ran with the ball, pulled off a hesitation move and then delivered a left-handed hook shot from near the 3-point line for the win.
Even Johnson himself was impressed with the shot, calling it one of the greatest game-winners he has ever seen.
“I jumped off my couch screaming after Kyrie’s game-winning shot from behind the free throw line for the Mavericks over the reigning champs Nuggets!! It’s one of the greatest, if not the greatest, left-hand game-winning shot I’ve ever seen,” Johnson wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Irving finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, three steals and one block, as well as unarguably the best shot of the night. Doncic, meanwhile, had 37 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Magic Johnson Hails Dallas Mavericks as Legit Playoff Threats
After the incredible clutch performance from the Dallas Mavericks, Magic Johnson added more praise to Jason Kidd’s men, going as far as to warning the rest of the West and the NBA that they are a dangerous team.
While the Mavs are currently only in play-in contention, Johnson not only sees them as playoff contenders, but also real threats to any team.
He credited the Mavs’ front office for adding the likes of PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford at the trade deadline, highlighting that it really changed the team.
“I want to put the Western Conference on notice – the Dallas Mavericks, coached under HOF Jason Kidd, are a different team with new additions of Washington, Lively, and Gafford. Watch out for them in the playoffs!” Johnson wrote.
With the way the Mavericks are playing, there is definitely reason to be excited about them as Johnson just said.
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