By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Only the second player to combine 60 points with a triple-double, setting a new franchise record in points, confusing a game-tying to a game-winning shot, and much more in a day’s work for Luka Doncic.
“I’m tired as hell. I need a recovery beer,” was the immediate reaction of the Slovenian superstar packing a wide smile coming off the Dallas Mavericks pulling off an overtime win versus the New York Knicks at American Airlines Center Tuesday. He logged his seventh triple-double in the 2022-23 NBA Regular Season.
Doncic, 23, went for 60 points, 21 rebounds, ten assists, two steals, and one block. Respective career-highs coming out of the 60 points and 21 rebounds. Perhaps equally jaw-dropping was the Mavs forcing five extra minutes despite trailing by nine points with 33 seconds remaining in regulation.
“That was really impressive,” he mentioned, “The whole team was: keep going. Zero-in-13,000-plus games in 35 seconds. That’s impressive. Everybody just kept it together. We believed.”
The Mavericks leader initially believed he won the game after intentionally missing a free throw and completing a crazy sequence of hands on the ball for the game-tying bucket with 1.0 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
“I don’t know. Just a little lucky there,” he admitted, “We put JaVale [McGee] in there, all cold. He did a great job there. I don’t know who tipped it, JaVale or C-Wood. But I think it was meant to be, you know?”
“This kid doesn’t quit. You can see that. The late game was better for us tonight. The putback, JaVale caused that. That was a big play by JaVale sitting there the whole night. And then coming up with a play to help tie the game,” added head coach Jason Kidd, “Luka doesn’t quit. He keeps playing and his teammates didn’t quit. Everyone had a part in making a big play down the stretch.”
Jumping to 19-16 in improbable fashion, the Mavericks slid into the top six teams of the Western Conference, namely the seeds leading directly into the Playoffs. Seeking the fifth win in a row, they will play host to the Houston Rockets Thursday.