DALLAS _ The NBA's next real-life action figure made a surprise visit to the AAC on Wednesday, and ... give me Luka.
The matchup of Luka Doncic v Zion Williamson drew Dez Bryant, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Real Madrid soccer star Eden Hazard to the AAC (Spike Lee didn't make it, most likely because the Mavs would not allow him to use the employee entrance).
Zion Williamson may scare actual basketballs, and frighten the families of rims and backboards, but in the chat of whom you'd rather have your team build around, go with the Slovenian.
Zion will be more fun to watch in the short term, and has the NBA's coolest name since Shaq, but Luka is the guy you want.
The New Orleans Pelicans made the decision on Wednesday morning when coach Alvin Gentry announced that Zion would play against the Mavs. Gentry and the Pelicans had not previously allowed their Duke alum rookie to play in the second of a back-to-back games this season.
Perhaps ESPN and the NBA gently nudged (mandated?) Gentry and the Pelicans into playing Zion for matchup we have wanted for months.
Or perhaps Gentry and the Pelicans were tired of babying their rookie after he missed the first several months of the season with a knee injury.
"He's fine," Gentry said when I asked him about Zion's conditioning. "We worry about him too freakin' much. He's 19 years old. He's fine."
The game itself never did feature Zion going at Luka, or Luka going at Zion like Thanos vs. Thor. Without that matchup, Pelicans at Mavs was still a thoroughly entertaining real life Avengers movie.
It was not until the final minutes of the Mavs' 127-123 overtime win did we catch a blink of what we wanted to see: Two super heroes taking over.
With 1:40 remaining in overtime, Doncic hit two free throws.
On the ensuing possession, Zion attacked the rim to tie the game at 118.
Luka then answered with a step-back 3-pointer.
Zion was fouled and made one of two free throws. They were his fourth and fifth foul shots in a game where he was fouled a lot more than what was called.
Luka then hit a cutting Kristaps Porzingis with a gorgeous bounce pass that KP dunked on a pick and roll for a 4-point lead.
After a New Orleans miss, Luka embarrassed Pelicans guard Jrue Holliday with a dribble drive that put Doncic at the rim, only to be cut off by Zion.
"He has everything," Holliday said. "He has eyes. He can post you up. He can pass. You better be careful."
Luka came up an offensive rebound on that possession, and while Zion scored once more Luka and the Mavs had the win.
It was the first time this season the Mavs won a game when they trailed in the final four minutes in regulation; they "improved" to 1-25 in such games.
Doncic finished with another triple double, 30 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists.
Zion scored 21 with six rebounds and three assists.
The only bad news for the Mavs was after the game Luka was taken for X-rays for an unspecified issue.
