Luka Doncic Becomes The 10th Player In NBA History With Three or More 40-Point Triple Doubles
Luka Magic was on full display last night as Luka Doncic seemed to have everything clicking versus the star-studded Brooklyn Nets. Doncic willed his team in a hard-fought double-overtime victory against Kyrie Irving, who went off for 39 points, and Kevin Durant, who dropped in 37, by putting up a 41-point triple-double!
Doncic’s final stat line for the night was 41 points on 50 percent shooting (14/28) to go along with 11 rebounds, 14 assists, and three steals to help the Dallas Mavericks secure a 129-125 win.
“We’re just trying to do the best we can to make his job a lot easier out there on the floor when he gives the ball up, and the only way you can do that is knock down shots and take them with confidence and make a play,” said Tim Hardaway Jr. postgame, per ESPN.
Mavericks Maxi Kleber also went on to add to what Hardaway said, stating,
“Obviously, Luka is probably the best guy to make tough shots and make shots when they count, but he also knows when to make the right basketball plays,” Kleber said. “And especially when we came into overtime, they were like really aggressive with him, and he made the right play, I don’t know, three or four times in a row. We just got hot and made all those shots.”
Doncic’s 40-point triple-double performance was also one for the history books, as he now becomes the 10th player in NBA History with three or more 40-point triple-doubles.
The list includes many impressive names, such as NBA Legends Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson, and The King LeBron James. This recent outing adds to what has been such a stellar start to the 2022-2023 season for Doncic, as he has put up over thirty points in each one of the four Mavericks games so far.
The Mavericks’ record currently sits at 2-2, placing them as the 10th seed in the Western Conference.
Although it is still very early into the new NBA season, we would not put it past Doncic to definitely continue to play at such a high level. Only time will tell if Doncic can sustain this level of play and carry it on to the playoffs later down the road; for now, let’s just appreciate the nightly magic we witness.
