Dallas, TX

Why Mavericks’ Luka Doncic was happy to let others shine in 2024 NBA All-Star Game

Published

2 years ago

February 19, 2024

Why Mavericks’ Luka Doncic was happy to let others shine in 2024 NBA All-Star Game

INDIANAPOLIS — With 1:22 left in the first half, a Western Conference 3-point shot attempt missed and Luka Doncic, rather accidently, was there to grab the offensive rebound on the bounce.

The Mavericks superstar’s ensuing slow-motion layup gave him his first points of the night, typifying the ho-hum nature of another easygoing Doncic All-Star performance during the East’s 211-186 victory over the West on Sunday night in the 73rd NBA All-Star Game in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Anyone who hoped Doncic might use the NBA’s biggest non-playoff stage to inject his name more prominently into the end-of-season Most Valuable Player conversation could immediately see that he had no intention of being offensively assertive – as now has been in case in all five of his All-Star appearances.

“People come in here and play 40 minutes, they don’t want to get injured,” Doncic said. “Everybody just gets out of the way. I don’t know how to fix that. I just follow the lead.”

Here’s my takeaway from Doncic’s comments: If no one is going to try to play defense in All-Star games, why should he play hard on offense?
Honestly have never thought of it that way and, you know, he has a point. https://t.co/NDGEvVhs82
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 19, 2024

The “highlight” of Doncic’s 7-point, 7-assist, 7-rebound night was his uncontested third-quarter dunk that gave himself four points and cut the East’s lead to 127-105. Hey, no hating: Doncic only has one dunk as a Maverick this season.

Shortly after his dunk, Doncic missed an attempt at the rim, later sheepishly telling TNT during a timeout: “I was feeling myself too much. I don’t dunk, guys.”

After the game, Doncic laughed and said: “On the second one, I was tired.”

Considering that Doncic has averaged a career-high 37.4 minutes while averaging an NBA-best 34.2 points per game and largely carrying an injury-ravaged Mavericks team much of the season, perhaps it was common sense to essentially rest even during his 23 minutes of court time Sunday.

In five All-Star appearances, Doncic has yet to score in double-figures and has totaled 35 points – in other words, one more point than his current season average.

Appearances to the contrary, Doncic says: “Every year I’m excited to be here. All the people you see. The players you share the locker room with. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”

Fortunately for the Mavericks organization and fans, rookie center Dereck Lively II had more than enough fun for both Dallas representatives together while playing in Friday’s Panini Rising Stars games and attending as many weekend festivities as he could.

In fact, Doncic seemed to get more of a kick out of seeing Lively than anything he personally did this weekend.

“Just a great kid,” Doncic said. “He listens to everybody, never complains. And on the court he looks like he’s played 10 years already in this league, so I’m really happy that he’s on our team.”

Doncic, who turns 25 in nine days, no doubt is one of the brightest stars in the NBA constellation, but when it comes to All-Star games he’s more than content to let everyone else shine.

Naturally this weekend’s center of attention was Lakers superstar LeBron James, at age 39 making his record-breaking 20th All-Star appearance.

James was asked before Sunday’s game whether he sees his potential replacement as the face of the NBA, a mantle he accepted a few years after Michael Jordan’s retirement.

“We have a great home a group of guys in our league right now that playing spectacular basketball and also are being great off the floor, as well,” he said. “But I don’t think you just just say ‘OK, this guy is the next person to be the face’ of anything.

“You have to just let it happen organically and see what happens. But we have some great, great players in this league that can carry anything if they put their minds when they want it.”

As was the case after his previous four All-Star game appearances, Doncic will try to disappear from public view and rest as much as possible before the Mavericks’ season resumes Thursday with a home game against Phoenix.

Dallas has the same record, 32-23, as it did after 65 games in 2020-2021, when it finished 52-30 and made a run to the Western Conference finals.

This Mavericks team has won six straight games and is 3-0 since the acquisitions of Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington. It remains to be seen whether this team can gel as seamlessly during the final 27 regular-season games as the ‘21-’22 team after the additions of Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.

Conversely last year’s team, despite the February acquisition of Kyrie Irving, finished 38-44 and missed the playoffs. Does that put more onus on this season’s stretch run?

“Every year is big,” Doncic said. “Every year I want to win the championship. So every year it’s the same goal. I think our team is really good, so we’ve just got to get through the last part of the season with good motivation.”

Perhaps it was rookie optimism, or maybe it was the excitement of his first All-Star weekend, but Lively said he believes the Mavericks have the attention of Western Conference contenders.

“I feel like we’re the darkhorse that everybody doesn’t want to look at,” he said, “but we’re in the back of their minds.”

Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

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Dallas, TX

Anti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis

Published

7 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Anti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis – CBS Texas

Watch CBS News

This protest was organized by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

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Dallas, TX

Dallas Weather: Changes on the way for North Texas

Published

19 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Dallas Weather: Changes on the way for North Texas

DALLAS – The warm and muggy weather will give way to much cooler temperatures in the Dallas-Fort Worth area over the next few days.

Thursday Forecast

According to the FOX 4 Weather team, rain chances return on Thursday as a disturbance moves through the Plains.

The best chance for showers and storms will be north of Interstate 20. There’s a marginal risk for severe storms for the areas northwest of DFW and along the Red River.

A southwest wind will also keep things very warm throughout the day. Expect highs to climb into the upper 70s to 80s. Wind gusts may reach as high as 25 to 30 mph.

Weekend Forecast

The next cold front swings through on Friday afternoon. Ahead of it, there are rain chances, especially southeast of DFW.

Behind this front, noticeably colder air moves in for the weekend. Expect lows in the 30s and afternoon highs in the 50s.

7-Day Forecast

A slow warm-up is expected heading into early next week.

The Source: The information in this story comes from FOX 4 Weather Meteorologist Ali Turiano’s weather report.

Weather

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Dallas, TX

Live updates: Washington Capitals vs Dallas Stars at Capital One Arena

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Live updates: Washington Capitals vs Dallas Stars at Capital One Arena

Justin Sourdif gave Capitals fans one of the most fun individual efforts of the season, recording five points and scoring his first career hat trick against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday. Sourdif had fantastic chemistry with Connor McMichael and Ryan Leonard in their first game together.

Now the question becomes – Can the Young Guns 2.0 keep it up against a usually-stingy, defensively stout Dallas Stars team?

With Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas out again due to injury, Brett Leason will make his season debut with the Capitals. Meanwhile, Dylan McIlrath will remain in the lineup.

The Stars come into on a six-game losing streak. Casey DeSmith will start in goal over Jake Oettinger while the Capitals will counter with Logan Thompson.

Puck drop for today’s game is scheduled for a little after 7:00 pm. The game’s national and on TNT.

I’m dedicating my work tonight to Callie. I love you, my sweet girl. 💔

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More Info

Lines

Washington Capitals

Beauvillier

Strome

Ovechkin

McMichael

Sourdif

Leonard

Dallas Stars

Duchene

Johnston

Rantanen

Tunnel shenanigans

1st Period

Puck is dropped. McMichael-Sourdif-Leonard and Fehervary-Carlson get the start.

Hendrix Lapierre passing directly to a Stars forward in the slot on his first shift of the game is probably not a good sign for his ice time tonight.
— RMNB (@rmnb) January 8, 2026

Ilya Lyubushkin to the box for holding Jakob Chychrun at 2:44.

Stars’ Radek Faska goes 1 on 3 shorthanded and scores after Logan Thompson loses sight of a rebound. WHAT WAS THAT.

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1-0 Dallas Stars

SHG: Radek Faksa (2). Assists: E. Lindell (14). Time: 3:06

Back to the power play and… Justin Sourdif gets tossed from the faceoff dot, starts screaming at the official, Connor McMichael comes in, says something, and he gets an unsportsmanlike doncut penalty, killing the rest of the team’s power play. You can tell Carbery is fuming.

The two teams are now playing four-on-four.

Puck bounces over Dylan Strome’s stick on a wide-open net down low after a great setup by John Carlson.

Stars are outshooting the Capitals 5-0, 5:30 into the first period.

Apparently Beck Malenstyn has returned to the Capitals because one of the commentators said he just made a play. Lmao. No one on the Capitals even wears no. 47.

Sam Steel ailing and holding his left arm after a big hit by Ethen Frank.

At intermission: The Stars lead 1-0. The Caps didn’t really do anything in the first period. They were there. They existed. But that was about it. Shots on goal are 10-8 Dallas.

2nd Period

Puck is dropped.

Ilya Lyubushkin and Brandon Duhaime throwing punches at each other after the play at 1:12. Lyubushkin is going down the tunnel due to a cut on his nose.

John Carlson… just watching a pass through the paint to his man, no stick lift or anything, just chillin.

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2-0 Dallas Stars

Goal: Sam Steel (7). Assists: T. Harley (14), M. Duchene (6). Time: 2:37

Ryan Leonard fakes a dump-in and almost scores with a crazy shot to the far side from center ice.

Brandon Duhaime and Ilya Lyubushkin drop the gloves right off a faceoff at 12:53. Duhaime punches Lyubushkin about 5 times hard in the back of the helmet. Hope his knuckles are doing okay. The Caps crowd is finally into it, though.

Logan Thompson stops Roope Hintz on a two-on-none breakaway after Nic Dowd fails to get the puck deep. Caps look awful.

Mikko Rantanen slashes Justin Sourdif at 15:55. Caps going back to the power play.

At intermission: The Stars lead 2-0. Dallas leads in shots on goal 20 to 13.

3rd Period

Puck is dropped.

Anthony Beauvillier takes it hard to the net, and gets two opportunities but can’t whack the puck through.

Nic Dowd to the box for hooking at 4:57. The Caps look awful. Just listless. Can’t get anything going. A lot of standing around.

4 shots by the Stars on the power play. Thompson keeping the Caps close.

McMichael ices the puck at the end of the kill.

Caps have one shot on goal through the first 7:03 of the third period.

Jason Robertson rips one hard off the post. Thompson is flopping all over the place to keep the puck out.

McMichael and Duchene trade opportunities down the wing off the rush.

Beauvillier sends a horrible pass backwards to Matt Roy in the defensive zone, turnover to the Stars’ Steel, and Wyatt Johnston scores easily in front of the net. YIKES.

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