From his vision to his shooting, from his presence in the paint to his defensive work, it’s clear that the Mavericks star has established himself as one of the best in the league. Indeed, his most recent record is probably just one addition to a list that will continue to grow.
Luka Dončić is in the triple-double business
If you caught the Dallas Mavericks in action on Saturday night, you would have seen them add even more misery to an already disastrous season for the Detroit Pistons. Of course, you would have also seen the team’s central player write his name in the history books once again. In what turned out to be a 142-124 victory over the Pistons on Saturday night, the Mavs Luka Doncic became the first player in NBA history to record six consecutive 30-point triple-doubles.
As for the details, Doncić scored 39 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds, which accidentally allowed him to pass the Los Angeles Clippers guard. That of Russell Westbrook record five consecutive 30-point triple-doubles. What further adds weight to his feat is the fact that this is also the fifth consecutive triple-double in which the Slovenian has recorded 35 points or more. For perspective, the aforementioned Westbrook has three, with the NBA legend Oscar Robertson, while James Harden – Westbrook’s teammate – has two. What’s even more impressive is that Dončić probably could have added to his total, but the team opted to keep him on the bench for the final minutes of the game, after taking a comfortable lead over the Pistons. To be honest, the 25-year-old it didn’t seem to bother.
The Mavericks have a special player but the team is improving
Despite the deserved applause for Dončić, it is worth mentioning that Kyrie Irving added 21 points and five assists to the board. There was also Daniel Gafford And Tim Hardaway Jr., who both recorded 17, while Derrick Jones Jr. put a solid 12 points on the board. The fact is, this is a team that is finding its own and doing it impressively. That said, there’s no denying Dončić’s value. “It shows what level he’s playing at right now,” the Mavericks head coach said. Jason Kidd said following the victory. “He knows he can score the ball, and he’s also able to find his teammates and, finally, he’s able to rebound the ball.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time Kidd has praised his player. In January he suggested that the former Real Madrid star was the best franchise player the Mavericks had ever seen and furthermore belonged in the GOAT conversation alongside Michael Jordan. There were also Kidd’s comments Thursday after a 114-108 win over the Miami Heat. That night, Doncic became the first player to record a triple-double with 35 or more points in four consecutive games. “As rare as Picasso,” Kidd said at the time.
Either way, the point remains the same: as special as Dončić is, the Mavericks seem to be finding their place as a team. Saturday’s victory was the Mavs’ second straight victory, a marked improvement after a three-game losing streak. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the Pistons who conceded their 10th defeat in 12 games. Despite Cade Cunningham scoring 33 points along with 10 assists and nine rebounds, it just wasn’t enough to push the Pistons to victory. As for Dončić and the Mavericks, they are currently 8th in the Western Conference and will face the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
