CHICAGO (AP) — Luka Doncic had 27 points, recording another triple-double but failing to score 30 for the first time in seven games, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Chicago Bulls 127-92 on Monday night.
Doncic finished with 14 assists and 12 rebounds, but came out of the blowout midway through the fourth quarter to end his NBA record triple-double streak at 30 points at six.
Daniel Gafford made history by making 9 of 9, extending his shooting streak to 28. It’s the longest streak since the NBA began tracking play-by-play data in 1996-97 , according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He finished with 20 points.
Doncic set the tone as Dallas outscored Chicago by 28 in the first quarter. The Mavericks gave up a season low in points while handing the Bulls their most lopsided loss.
Derek Lively II scored 22 points and the Mavericks shot about 55 percent to earn their third straight victory after losing three in a row.
Onuralp Bitim led Chicago with 17 points. DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic each scored 13, and the Bulls were foiled early by losing their second straight.
The Mavericks set a season low in points allowed in the first quarter and first half by taking a 62-42 lead. They outscored Chicago 44-16 in the first period.
Doncic narrowly missed a triple-double in the first half with 15 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. He scored 15 with six assists and six rebounds in the first quarter.
Dallas outscored Chicago 19-2 over the final 3:45 of the period, starting with Lively’s dunk. Doncic scored eight and made two 3-pointers during that stretch, including a step-back shot from beyond the arc in the final minute of the quarter.
After Coby White’s 3 was knocked out for Chicago, Josh Green nailed one for Dallas as time expired to make it a 28-point game.
FOLLOWING
Mavericks: Host Golden State on Wednesday.
Bulls: Visit Indiana on Wednesday. ___
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