Dallas Mavericks fans are all talking about the 30-0 run they put on the Oklahoma City Thunder in their 126-120 loss on Saturday night. But lost in all that is the fact that Mavs star Luka Doncic entered Larry Bird territory during that game.
Doncic had 36 points, 15 rebounds, and 18 assists in the Mavs loss. With his 59th triple-double, Doncic just tied Larry Bird for ninth all-time on the career triple-double list, according to Landon Thomas of Mavs Fans For Life.
Doncic returned to the lineup after missing Friday’s game while welcoming a newborn daughter. Doncic’s fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, gave birth to the couple’s daughter, Gabriela, on Thursday. Doncic’s white shoes featured pink accents and his daughter’s name written on the outside of each.
The Mavs star is having another amazing season offensively, averaging 31.1 points, 8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. But Doncic has also worked to improve on the defensive end. After the Maverick's 121-115 win over the Houston Rockets in both team's final in-season tournament game, he spoke about his defensive improvement:
“I think I’ve been very good defensively. I know people are not going to say that but my team knows it, and coaches know it.”
Doncic's comments come as the Mavs are ranked 23rd in the NBA in defense. They finished last season 25th in defense, missing the play-in with consecutive losses to close out the season before sitting Doncic and then newly acquired star Kyrie Irving in their final game against the Chicago Bulls.
But as long as he puts up offensive performances like he did Saturday, he can probably get a pass for his defense.
Follow Us
Subscribe