LOS ANGELES – A beer was indeed what Luka Doncic needed, and deserved, after the Dallas star rewrote the National Basketball Association (NBA) record book on Tuesday with a stunning 60-point triple-double, carrying the Mavericks to a wild 126-121 overtime home victory over the New York Knicks.
The Slovenian guard added 21 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the first player in NBA history with a triple-double featuring at least 60 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists.
He was also just the second player, after James Harden, to score 60 points in a triple-double, with Harden scoring 60 points with 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a game for Houston in 2018.
“He’s special,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of his star man, who also had two steals and a blocked shot in the contest.
“For a player to do something that’s never been done before – it’s hard to do. There’s been some great players before him.”
Doncic posted his career-high in rebounds and notched his seventh triple-double of the season, to help Dallas rally for the win to improve to 19-16 in the Western Conference.
The Knicks (18-17), led by 33 points from Quentin Grimes, were up by nine with 33.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but Dallas out-scored them 12-3 to close the period.
Doncic tied it up with one second remaining, coming up with the rebound of his own intentionally missed free throw and rising through a crowd of players to drain a game-tying jump shot.
“I think it was just kind of lucky,” the 23-year-old said. “I just threw it up.”
He scored seven of the Mavericks’ 11 points in overtime as they sealed the win, and departed the court to a massive ovation from the Dallas crowd.
“I’m tired as hell,” Doncic said as he was corralled for an on-court television interview. “I need a recovery beer.”
Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Lakers, who had lost four straight since star Anthony Davis was sidelined with a foot injury, got a much-needed win in Orlando.
LeBron James scored 28 points, Thomas Bryant added 21 and Russell Westbrook delivered a triple-double of 15 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.
“You can’t replace Anthony Davis, we know that,” Westbrook said in an on-court post-game interview.
“As a team collectively we have to make sure we come together... try to hold it down until he comes back.”
The Golden State Warriors survived a cold shooting night from three-point range to edge out the Charlotte Hornets 110-105 in San Francisco, thanks to Klay Thompson’s game-high 29 points and Jonathan Kuminga hitting three key late hoops.
Playing once again without injured stars Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors (17-18) improved their league-best home record to 14-2 despite watching an 18-point lead disappear.
The Phoenix Suns sprung a surprise in Memphis, beating the Grizzlies 125-108.
Phoenix reserve guard Duane Washington scored a career-high 26 points to lead eight Suns players in double figures.
The Denver Nuggets, led by Michael Porter’s 30 points, rallied from a 20-point deficit in the second quarter to beat the Kings 113-106 in Sacramento.
Jamal Murray added 25 points and NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic scored 20 points, with nine rebounds and 11 assists for the Nuggets. AFP, REUTERS
