On a night when Dirk Nowitzki passed Wilt Chamberlain for the sixth spot in the NBA's all-time scoring list, Dallas Mavericks' rookie sensation Luka Doncic was also able to accomplish a statistical feat himself.
With his triple-double in the game, the Slovenian wonder boy set the franchise record for most triple-doubles by a rookie.
29 PTS | 13 REB | 10 AST
With his 5th triple-double of the season tonight, @luka7doncic set the @dallasmavs record for most triple-doubles by a rookie! #MFFL pic.twitter.com/SRsNdS59fY
— NBA (@NBA) March 19, 2019
According to Stat Muse, he is also only the sixth rookie in NBA history to have at least five triple-doubles, joining Ben Simmons, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Alvan Adams and Tom Gola.
Luka Doncic finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as the New Orleans Pelicans came away with a 129-125 overtime win.
The 20-year-old freshman is most likely going to win this year's Rookie of the Year honors, and him being able to set multiple franchise records –including the most triple double by a Mavs rookie — should seal the deal.
This season, Doncic is averaging 21.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. He's undoubtedly the recipient of the torch passed by Nowitzki, and he's set to become the Mavs' franchise player for a long, long time.
Dallas won't be making the playoffs this year, but they're already looking forward to next season, during which newly acquired Kristaps Porzingis is expected to be 100 percent ready to play.
However, even if Dallas has nothing left to fight for this season, it hasn't stopped Luka from performing at his best. The Mavs could choose to shut him down, but they didn't and they most likely wouldn't.
While the Dirk train is nearing the finish line, Luka-Mania is just getting started.
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