NEWS UPDATE: Mavs win, but Luka Doncic’s run off 4…
Luka Doncic delivered a triple-double once more. Maintaining his record streak was pretty much the only thing he didn’t do.
Despite not scoring 30 points for the first time in seven games, Doncic finished with 27 points and a triple-double, and the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Chicago Bulls 127-92 on Monday night.
Despite finishing with 12 rebounds and 14 assists, Doncic left the game halfway through the fourth quarter, ending his NBA record string of six consecutive 30-point triple-doubles.
Coach Jason Kidd stated, “To him, it’s all about winning.” I’m not sure if numbers have any significance for him now. However, when he does retire, he will reflect that he was playing a game that no one else could match.
With at least 30 points and his sixth consecutive triple-double on Saturday, the Mavs star created history. Along with breaking the record, he scored 39 points, dished out 10 assists, and pulled down 10 rebounds in the 142-124 victory. It was his fifth straight 35-point triple-double.
In general, Doncic set the tone for Dallas’ first-quarter 28-point victory over Chicago. The Mavericks handed the Bulls their most crushing defeat while conceding a season-low number of points. With 15 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds in the first half, he almost missed a triple-double. In the first quarter, he scored 15 points, pulled down six rebounds, and assisted six times.
Doncic overtook Shawn Bradley (3,340) for No. 4 on the team’s all-time rebounding record and Jason Terry (1,140) for No. 2 on the team’s all-time 3-pointers made list in the victory. Doncic is averaging 36.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game since the All-Star break.
Former Bulls center Daniel Gafford extended his streak of consecutive made shots to 28—seven fewer than the NBA record—by making all nine of his field goals for Dallas. From February 17 to February 28, 1967, Wilt Chamberlain scored 35 points in a row for the Philadelphia 76ers.
“I always try to be consistent and have the mentality that I will finish everything regardless of whether someone is in front of me or not,” Gafford stated. “Dunking it or putting it in the rim, at the end of the day.”
