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Luka Doncic: Tuesday night, the Dallas Mavericks point guard outperformed himself to lead his team to an overtime victory over the New York Knicks.
The game
Performance-wise, Luka Doncic was critical to the Mavericks’ campaign.
In the final 26.8 seconds of regulation time, he reversed the nine-point deficit, significantly reducing the New York Knicks’ lead.
Near the end of the game-tying run, Doncic stepped up.
Like any other player, the Mavericks’ point guard boosted his tempo when the team needed him the most, putting his talent to the test.
The tie
With 4.2 seconds left, Luka Doncic stood for the free throw.
Three points separated the Mavericks from the Knicks.
Doncic intentionally missed the second shot in the hopes that another Maverick would get the rebound rather than shooting the ball in.
The ball bounced off, slipped off the Knicks, and eventually found its way to Doncic’s hands.
He immediately attempted a jump shot from close range.
He didn’t realize the cheers were emanating from the Mavericks supporters when the shot went in until he got to his feet after falling.
While the rest of the team appeared keen to celebrate, and Luka Doncic was overjoyed, they all chose to remain in position to defend as time ran out.
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Finishing the game
The Dallas Mavericks kept up their momentum as the game entered overtime.
They forced overtime and limited the Knicks to only two free throws in the first four minutes.
With a five-point victory to complete the comeback, the Mavericks managed to hold off the Knicks.
Seven of the Mavericks’ eleven points in overtime were scored by Luka Doncic, giving him 60 points for the game.
“I’m tired as hell,” said Doncic after their victory. “I need a recovery beer.”
Records broken
In the exciting game against the Knicks, Luka Doncic put up some great stats.
In addition to a career-high 60 points, the point guard also had 21 rebounds and 10 assists.
Due to his efforts, Doncic is now the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double of 60 points.
The Mavericks player raised the bar and established a scoring record for the team.
Doncic’s performance
Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, previously documented the remarkable 21-year career of Dirk Nowitzki.
He watched the younger generation continue Nowitzki’s legacy in the game against the Knicks.
“We are watching greatness @luka7doncic,” he tweeted. “I’ve never seen anything like that ever.”
Luka Doncic achieved a triple-double of 60 points, becoming the second player in NBA history to do so.
He follows in the footsteps of James Harden, who accomplished a similar feat with the Houston Rockets in 2018 and set the record for the first 60-point, 10-rebound, 11-assist performance.
It surpasses the rare 50-point triple-double, which was only achieved by Wilt Chamberlain (who did it twice) and Elgin Baylor with a 20-board performance in the past, along with six other players.
The cherry on top, though, goes beyond Doncic’s individual feats.
When behind by more than nine points with 35 seconds left on the clock, NBA clubs had a record of 0-13,884 during the previous 20 seasons.
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Reaction
In addition to breaking Dirk Nowitzki’s previous mark of 53 points from 2004, Luka Doncic’s 60-point triple-double also set a new record for the Mavericks.
The point guard was praised online by current and past NBA players.
“It’ll be another statue in Dallas,” said Kevin Garnett. “Luka is like that!”
Meanwhile, Chris Wood wrote, “@luka7doncic Im sending u a GOAT to yo farm my boy..60..great team W #MFFL.”
In a tweet, Theo Pinson praised Doncic as one of the NBA’s top performers this season, saying:
“I don’t want to hear not 1 time that is AT LEAST top 3 in the MVP race all year!!!”
Paul Pierce added his two cents, saying: “Luke is the best offensive player in the league I said offensive think about it.”
References:
Luka Doncic’s historic 60-point triple-double lifts Mavericks past Knicks in wild comeback
Mavericks star Luka Doncic posts historic triple-double in historic comeback
NBA players react to Luka Doncic’s historic 60-point triple-double
