Mavs’ Luka joins Steph with rare NBA playoff statistical feat

Mavs’ Luka joins Steph with rare NBA playoff statistical feat originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry and Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić now are bound by one rare NBA playoff statistical feat.

Dončić joined the Warriors great as the only two players in NBA history to collect 65-plus made 3-pointers and 30-plus steals in one single playoff run.

Dončić etched his name next to the 10-time NBA All-Star after posting 32 points on 4-for-9 shooting from 3-point range with 11 rebounds, 11 assists and 4 steals in a 105-98 Game 2 loss in the 2024 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.

Curry has pulled off the feat twice in his 15-year NBA career. During the 2015 playoffs, he totaled 39 steals — the most ever by a player who made 65 or more triples in one playoff run — and a second-best 34 in 2017.

The Warriors ended those two runs as NBA champions.

With 34 steals this postseason, Dončić is tied with Curry for second-most among players who have sunk at least 65 3-pointers. Dončić leads the league during the 2024 playoffs with 65 on the dot.

Curry almost had a third go at the accomplishment during the 2022 playoffs. Then, he finished just short with 29 steals and an unworldly 91 made 3s en route to his fourth title with Golden State.

He isn’t 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 a “passing-lane merchant.”

The 25-year-old, while 6-foot-7, recently has been put on blast for his defensive effort in the finals. So while Dončić shares the rare two-way statistic with Curry, it’s clear the two attain their steals in much different manners.

The tape doesn’t lie.

Curry and Dončić always will have something in common due to their love for the long ball and unexpected ability to collect steals, but the two are very unique in how they fill up the stat sheet.

And for now, Curry remains the only player to make 65 or more 3s and to earn 30 or more steals en route to a Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

Only time will tell how this season ends for Dončić and his Mavericks. As of Tuesday, they trail the Celtics, 0-2.

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