Luka Doncic has been putting up absurd numbers across the board for the Dallas Mavericks this season while playing just 33.8 minutes per game.
The Mavs star hit another personal milestone in the team's 118-97 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, as he became the only player to notch 33 points, 18 rebounds (career-high), five assists, with five made 3-pointers in a non-overtime game.
Even more remarkable, Doncic piled up the amazing stat-line in just 28 minutes while sitting out the entire fourth quarter due to the Mavs' big lead.
Luka Doncic's line for the @dallasmavs tonight:
33 points
18 rebounds
5 assists
5 three-pointers madeHe's the first player in NBA history to reach all of those numbers in a non-overtime game.#MFFL
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) December 4, 2019
To say that Luka Doncic has made significant strides in his second year in the league would simply be selling it short. The 20-year-old Slovenian has been phenomenal and has already aligned himself in the same level as megastars like LeBron James and James Harden this campaign.
After a successful freshman campaign that saw him win the Rookie of the Year award, Doncic has already bypassed the Most Improved Player citation and is already gunning for the Most Valuable Player trophy this early in the season.
The Mavs were predicted to improve this year with the acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis, but they have already exceeded expectations by leapfrogging other contenders on their way to fourth place in the Western Conference with a 14-6 win-loss slate.
Doncic has already recorded 15 triple-doubles in his young NBA career, with seven of those coming this season alone. He has two more than LeBron so far this year. The Mavs youngster will no doubt be selected as an All-Star in 2020, and he could even be the number one vote-getter given his rise in popularity in the previous weeks.