After struggling in the last two games, which were both losses, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic busted out on Saturday at home against the Blazers. Doncic had a triple-double with 42 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals.
However, it was Spencer Dinwiddie(20 points) who made some big shots down the stretch. With Blazers leading 106-103 with under three minutes to go, Dinwiddie would score the next nine points for Dallas, all threes, and the Mavericks would defeat the Blazers 117-112 at American Airlines Center to snap a two-game losing streak.
With the triple-double, Doncic became the sixth player in NBA history to record four-or-more triple-doubles with 40-plus points.
“It’s not routine,” Doncic said about the 40-point triple-double after the win. “You saw the last two games when I really struggled. It’s nice to have.”
Doncic was a combined 17/50 from the field in the losses to the Magic and Wizards, and Mavs head coach Jason Kidd was happy to see him get right on Saturday night.
“He had 42 – triple-double; just a little walk in the park,” Kidd said. “He had an historic start – that’s something that is special. Nothing against what Wilt [Chamberlain] did, but Wilt was playing against six feet or under. I’m joking. But he’s human. But again, I think losing two in a row and not playing well – I think the guys who’ve seen him the most, he’s always bounced back. And that’s what he did tonight. He could have easily taken the game off to get some rest, but he fought and put us in a position to win.”
Doncic increased his scoring total to a league-high 34.3 points per game. After the loss to the Wizards, Doncic talked about being tired, but clearly, that was not the case against Portland as he broke out in a big way.
Dallas continues their five-game homestand Tuesday night against the Clippers.
