Luka Magic strikes again: Doncic drains game-winning 3-point floater to give Mavs crucial win over Grizzlies

Luka Doncic raised his arms.

He smiled at the sparse crowd in Memphis’ FedEx Forum.

Luka Magic struck, once again.

With 1.8 seconds remaining in the Mavericks’ 114-113 win over the Grizzlies, Luka Doncic received an in-bound pass from Maxi Kleber on the left wing where he’s proven so lethal in clutch situations within the last year.

He took a dribble, launched an off-balance 3-pointer from one foot through two Grizzlies defenders and saved the Mavericks from what would’ve been a frustrating third consecutive loss.

Goodbye to worries about the Mavericks’ ability to gain some ground in the Western Conference standings on a night they appeared sluggish until clutch time.

Hello to another iconic national TV game-winner for the Mavericks’ uber-talented superstar.

Doncic finished with 29 points — 25 of which came in the second half — and added nine assists and five rebounds. He showed on-court chemistry with Kristaps Porzingis (21 points) and ensured Memphis guard Grayson Allen will have plenty to stew over in the coming days.

Allen, who led the Grizzlies with 23 points and tormented the Mavericks with hot shooting for most of the night, paved the way for Doncic’s heroics.

After Doncic missed the second of two foul shots with 3.2 seconds remaining — and the Mavericks down 113-111 — Dallas fouled Allen, who then missed both of his foul shots.

After trailing by as many as nine points in the game and six points in the fourth quarter, the Mavericks erased a five-point Grizzlies lead in the last 2:07 and outscored them 31-24 in the final period.

In the days leading up to Wednesday night’s game against the Grizzlies, the Mavericks, specifically Doncic and owner Mark Cuban, expressed their dissatisfaction with the NBA’s new play-in playoff format.

No matter how peeved the Mavericks may be about the NBA’s one-season experiment with a Nos. 7-10 seeds play-in tournament, Wednesday’s matchup featured potential playoff implications.

Dallas (30-24) remains the seventh in the Western Conference and added another game to their lead over eighth-place Memphis. That could prove key for home-court advantage in the play-in.

The Mavericks, who aspire for a top-6 seed guaranteed a full playoff series, also pulled closer to sixth-place Portland, which has lost four of its last five.

“I do have opinions on it, but really, my focus has got to be on what’s going on right now,” Rick Carlisle said of the play-in tournament before the game. “It’s a reality. I mean, the play-in tournament is happening. If we end up in the play-in, then we’ll embrace that challenge, and it will be a great experience. In the meantime, there’s a lot to play for.

“Luka and Mark have made strong statements about it. I don’t see the need for a third, really, and I don’t want anything to distract us from what’s important right now.”

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