Mavs’ Luka joins Steph in rare statistical feat in NBA playoffs originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
Steph Curry and Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić are now linked to a rare statistical feat in the NBA playoffs.
Dončić joined the Warriors as the only two players in NBA history to make 65+ 3-pointers and 30+ steals in a single playoff run.
Dončić etched his name alongside the 10-time NBA All-Star after scoring 32 points on 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point range, with 11 rebounds, 11 assists and 4 steals in a 105-98 win. Game 2 loss in the 2024 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
Curry achieved the feat twice in his 15-year NBA career. During the 2015 playoffs, he totaled 39 steals – the most by a player who has made 65 or more triples in a playoff run – and the second-best 34 in 2017.
The Warriors closed out those two runs as NBA champions.
With 34 steals this postseason, Dončić is tied with Curry for second among players who have made at least 65 3-point shots. Dončić leads the league during the 2024 playoffs with 65 points.
Curry almost had a third attempt at clinching during the 2022 playoffs. Then, he finished with 29 steals and 91 3-pointers en route to his fourth title with Golden State.
He’s not known for his defense, but Curry has proven to be a two-way force throughout his career. After all, he was the NBA steals champion with 169 steals in 79 regular season games (2.14 per game).
Dončić, on the other hand, could be considered what some call an “overtaking trader.”
The 6-foot-2, 25-year-old was recently criticized for his defensive effort in the finals. So while Dončić shares the rare two-way stat with Curry, it’s clear that the two get their steals in very different ways.
The tape doesn’t lie.
Curry and Dončić will always have something in common due to their love of the long ball and unexpected ability to collect steals, but the two are unique in the way they fill the stat sheet.
And for now, Curry remains the only player hit 65 or more 3s and earn 30 or more steals en route to the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
Only time will tell how this season will end for Dončić and his Mavericks. As of Tuesday, they trail the Celtics 0-2.
