CNN
—
NBA Superstar Luka Doncic recorded a triple-double for the seventh consecutive game as the Dallas Mavericks delivered the Chicago Bulls127-92, Monday.
Dončić had 27 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists along with a steal in the blowout victory despite not having the most efficient shooting night, going 9 of 23 from the field at United Chicago Center.
While the 25-year-old once again filled the stat sheet, his historic streak of triple-doubles with at least 30 points ended in six games when head coach Jason Kidd removed him from the roster. Action during the fourth quarter with the Mavericks up 33 points. .
“You just have to understand that Luka is setting records, it becomes difficult when you are trying to win the match and also trying to be respectful of the situation,” Kidd said.
“We gave him a few chances to [extending the streak], then I looked at him and told him it was time for him to come out, and he was okay with that. It just shows his maturity and leadership. In addition to making records, he also understood the situation.
Dončić, who averages 34.6 points per game and league leader in scoring, has been on a dominant streak since returning from the All-Star Break. Over the last 10 games, he has accumulated 364 points, 114 assists and 102 rebounds – no other player has matched those numbers over a 10-game span since the 1975-76 season. by basketball reference.
The Mavericks achieved a little less than 55% of their field goals as they tore apart the Bulls defense. Dallas got considerable production from its big man duo of Derrick Lively II and Daniel Gafford, who scored 22 and 20 points, respectively.
“I’ve never seen it before when two centers dominate like that,” Kidd said after the game.
Gafford, formerly of the Bulls, was 9 for 9 in the game and hasn’t missed a shot in his last four games. He has now done 28 consecutive field goalsthe most since play-by-play statistics began being recorded during the 1997-98 season.
“My philosophy is just to be consistent and have the mindset of wanting to finish everything, no matter if there’s anyone in front of you or if there’s no one in front of you,” said Gafford said, according to the Mavs. “At the end of the day, I either dunk it or put it in the rim.”
While the Mavericks’ offense was fluid, Chicago struggled to get things going on both sides of the ball, falling to a 35-point loss while shooting just 39.3 percent from the field.
“We gave up a lot of turnovers and offensive rebounds,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said after the match. “We need to be more involved than we were.
“We were kind of too worried about getting back to that three-point line instead of saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to take the roll away.'”
Onuralp Bitim, who recently signed his two-way contract converted to a standard NBA deal by the Bulls, led the team in scoring with 17 points coming off the bench. DeMar DeRozan, six-time All-Star – the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week with Dončić taking the honor for the West – was held to just 13 points in a dismal shooting night for the entire team.
The Bulls fall to 31-34 after the disappointing home loss and remain the 9th seed in the East as a spot in the Play-In playoff tournament looks increasingly likely. The Mavericks are also in Play-In position in the very competitive West at No. 8, but have a significantly better record at 37-28.
Both teams return to the court on Wednesday, with Chicago visiting the Indiana Pacers and Dallas hosting the Golden State Warriors.
