Doncic breaks Mavs record, Jokic dominates Jazz, Giannis injured in historic game

By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net

The Dallas Mavericks needed a win in Charlotte, and Luka Doncic delivered.

The Slovenian superstar notched another triple-double as the Mavs cruised past the Hornets with a final score of 104-130, clinching a playoff spot. This was aided by the LA Clippers beating the Phoenix Suns 92-105, with Ivica Zubac scoring 17 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

As for Luka, he led Dallas to their 15th win in the last 17 games with 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists on 13-25 shooting from the field. Therefore, he broke Mark Aguirre’s franchise record for most points scored in a single season. Aguirre’s record of 2,330 points went down when Doncic scored his seventh triple-double, bringing his total to 2,332.

“[It means] a lot,” Doncic said of breaking the record. “It’s the franchise that drafted me. They gave me, they say, ‘the keys.’ They say it like that, but I’m glad I’m here in Dallas.”

Davis Bertans had 13 points for the losing side, while Vasilije MIcic added six, and Aleksej Pokusevski had four points.

Doncic recorded a triple-double, but Jokic was three assists shy of a triple-double. Nevertheless, the Denver Nuggets were equally effective, beating the Utah Jazz on the road 95-111.

The Serbian center scored 28 points with 13 rebounds, as two of his fellow European colleagues from the other side stood out. Omer Yurtseven scored 20 with 11 rebounds for the Jazz, while Luka Samanic also recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Denver is tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves at the top of the Western Conference standings with a 55-24 record, as the Minneapolis team took care of business against the Washington Wizards, with Anthony Edwards scoring 51 and Rudy Gobert adding 19 with 16 boards.

Like Luka and Nikola, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a win but didn’t return to the court until the end of the Boston Celtics‘ clash.

The Bucks won 104-91, but the Greek star had to leave the floor in the third quarter due to an apparent calf injury. He finished the match with 15 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, attempting the only two free throws of the game, going 1 for 2.

Giannis has a left calf strain. Hope he returns as soon as possible 🙏🏻

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— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) April 10, 2024

That’s the fewest combined attempts in a game ever, with the previous record being 11. The Celtics are now the first team in history not to attempt a free throw in a match.

NBA results:

Charlotte Hornets – Dallas Mavericks 104-130 (Bertans 13p, Micic 6p, Pokusevski 4p – Doncic 39p, 12r, 10as, Kleber 10p)
Philadelphia 76ers – Detroit Pistons 120-102 (Embiid 37p, 11r, 8as, Batum 2p – Fournier 21p)
Toronto Raptors – Indiana Pacers 123-140
Atlanta Hawks – Miami Heat 111-117 OT (Bogdanovic 11p, Capela 6p, 11r – Jovic 23p, 8r)
Milwaukee Bucks – Boston Celtics 104-91 (Giannis 15p, 8r, 7as – Mikhailiuk 5p)
Chicago Bulls – New York Knicks 117-128 (Vucevic 26p – Anunoby 24p, Hartenstein 11p, Bogdanovic 3p)
Houston Rockets – Orlando Magic 118-106 (M. Wagner 12p)
Memphis Grizzlies – San Antonio Spurs 87-102 (Wemby 18p, 7r, Mamukelashvili 11p, 16r, Cissoko 10p)
Minnesota Timberwolves – Washington Wizards 130-121 (Gobert 19p, 16r – Avdija 15p, 6r)
Oklahoma City Thunder – Sacramento Kings 112-105 (Sabonis 8p, 13r)
Utah Jazz – Denver Nuggets 95-111 (Yurtseven 20p, 11r, Samanic 15p, 10r)
LA Lakers – Golden State Warriors 120-134
Phoenix Suns – LA Clippers 92-105 (Zubac 17p, 13r)
Portland Trail Blazers – New Orleans Pelicans 100-110 (Rupert 6p – Valanciunas 11p, 8r)