Another night, another 40-point triple-double, and another win for Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
Doncic was in his bag last night, scorching the visiting Golden State Warriors with his hot hand and impressive playmaking abilities. Doncic sealed the 116-113 victory with 41 points shooting 14-27 (51.9 percent) from the field, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.
Unreal performance from Luka.
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 30, 2022
41 PTS, 12 REB, 12 AST, 4 STL.
(via @nba) pic.twitter.com/2YBzHUSDVB
This is Doncic’s third 40+ point triple-double this season, and every other player in the League currently has zero. Performances like what we witnessed last night on national television are why many would agree that Doncic is a front-runner for MVP this year. I mean, with the way he has been playing at such a high level, how could you argue against him right now?
“It’s getting boring,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd jokingly told ESPN postgame. “I mean, let’s see something different. Maybe do it with his left hand. I’m just joking. Look, he’s one of the best in the world, and that’s what he does. Some of us can take him for granted. The man is special.”
Warriors Superstar Stephen Curry also chimed in postgame with some high praise for Doncic as well;
“His size and his ball-handling skills keep you on edge the entire game, that plus him being a three-level scorer, you’ve got to worry about everything,” Curry said. “Then obviously, his court vision is unreal. It’s an offensive package of being a playmaker and scorer, and when he’s knocking down shots like he did tonight, it’s tough. You want to take something away from him, but he can make play after play.”
Tuesday’s game just continues to add to what has been a spectacular season for Doncic, whose performance yesterday also landed him in the history books. Doncic is now the sixth player in NBA history to record five or more 40-point triple-doubles. The five other big names he joins on that list are Oscar Robertson, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Wilt Chamberlain, and LeBron James.
In addition to his new piece of NBA history, Doncic made franchise history after tying Dirk Nowitzki’s franchise record for most 40-point games as a Maverick.
There just doesn’t seem to be anything anyone in the League can do to stop Doncic. With the All-Star break quietly approaching, we will just have to wait to see if Doncic and the Mavericks can continue to sustain their current level of play.