Jonas Valanciunas will probably never forget this NBA game. The Lithuanian had a magical evening in the 123: 104 win against the Clippers.
Good touch: Jonas Valanciunas met his three-pointers like a dream.
Getty Images
The Big Man of the Pelicans proved against the Clippers that he also has a very fine hand. The 29-year-old let it rain three, the first seven attempts of “Downtown” all found their way through the trap, only the eighth attempt failed. In the end, Valanciunas had 39 points (15 of 25 from the field), which was his career best, and 15 rebounds in the box score.
“The boys called him Dirk Valanciunas,” said Pelicans coach Willie Green after beating the LA Clippers. What an honor for the man from Lithuania. Of course, they were referring to the German legend Dirk Nowitzki, who played for the Dallas Mavericks from 1999 to 2019 and crowned his great career with the 2011 NBA title.
These footsteps were a bit too big for Valanciunas. “I’m still Jonas Valanciunas,” said the 29-year-old with a smile: “Everyone wants to be like Dirk. He’s one of the biggest big boys in our sport. But I still have to work a lot to be like him.”
