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Luka Doncic drops career-high 33 points on one of Europe’s best teams

By Max Holm

KAUNAS, LITHUANIA - OCTOBER 26: Luka Doncic, #7 of Real Madrid competes with Axel Toupane, #6 of Zalgiris Kaunas in action during the 2017/2018 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 4 game between Zalgiris Kaunas and Real Madrid at Zalgirio Arena on October 26, 2017 in Kaunas, Lithuania. (Photo by Alius Koroliovas/EB via Getty Images)
KAUNAS, LITHUANIA - OCTOBER 26: Luka Doncic, #7 of Real Madrid competes with Axel Toupane, #6 of Zalgiris Kaunas in action during the 2017/2018 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 4 game between Zalgiris Kaunas and Real Madrid at Zalgirio Arena on October 26, 2017 in Kaunas, Lithuania. (Photo by Alius Koroliovas/EB via Getty Images) /
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Luka Doncic is an unstoppable force at just 18 years of age for Real Madrid and he just keeps getting better while dismantling elite competition.

There’s no escaping the hype surrounding Luka Doncic. Neither for any fans nor the player himself. He’s taking Europe by storm and is in contention to hear his name called very early in next June’s 2018 NBA Draft.

On a night playing on the road against a very tough Greek side in Olympiacos, Luka Doncic had himself a game. The potential top pick in the upcoming draft dropped a career-high 33 points. In addition to that, Doncic also had six rebounds, four assists and just one turnover. Oh, and there were also a ton of NBA scouts in attendance. 

What might have been more impressive than his play was his demeanor after the game. Doncic helped Real Madrid claw back and force overtime, but they still ultimately fell. Here’s what the 18-year-old told Eurohoops after the game:

"“I don’t care for my career high because we lost. I don’t feel great. I didn’t do enough, so I really don’t care if I scored 33 points and we didn’t get a win.”"

That’s the mature attitude and demeanor of a kid who gets it. He gets what it means to win. He understands what’s important. This is the type of attitude that is often missing from young American basketball players, a byproduct of the coddling of AAU.

We often get into debates about foreign players and whether we can judge them. Some question who they played and their toughness. No one should be questioning Doncic. He’s already battle-tested, having bested NBA players like Kristaps Porzingis and Evan Fournier this past summer. He takes losing personally, unlike many college freshmen who coasted in AAU.

Next: 2018 NBA Draft Big Board - Mid-November

Doncic just gets better and better. Despite the emergences of DeAndre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III, it’s hard to justify placing either over Doncic. What he’s doing is unheard of and is far more impressive. And that’s not a knock on the two Americans. More so, it’s a testament to how elite a prospect Doncic is.

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