With Kyrie Irving out for the Dallas Mavericks during their Monday night battle against the struggling Memphis Grizzlies, Luka Doncic was, once again, expected to take on a huge offensive burden. Coming off a 49-point outburst against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night, anything short of a herculean effort from Doncic would have been a major disappointment.

But the Slovenian superstar was back at it again with his usual tricks, putting up 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists on the night for his third triple-double of the year in three games as the Mavs claimed a 125-110 victory over the Grizzlies. And in doing so, Doncic reached some rarefied statistical air that would make Mavs fans optimistic about their star's chances of ending the season with a triple-double average.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Luka Doncic is just the third player in NBA history to start off a season with multiple triple-doubles through the first three games. The Mavs star joined the likes of Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson, the two triple-double kings, as the only players to do so. (Westbrook accomplished this during his MVP 2016-2017 season, while the Big O did so back in the 1961-62 campaign.)

It's important to note that both Westbrook and Robertson finished those seasons with a triple-double average, so there's a chance that the same could go for Doncic and that this isn't just a hot streak to begin the year. Of course, the Mavs star has had triple-double binges in the past, but a hot start like this only bodes well for his chances of keeping it up as the year progresses.

And as long as it's resulting in wins for the Mavs, they won't be asking Luka Doncic to much of anything in a different manner.