Luka Doncic seems like one of those people who says that his birthday is just another day and that he prefers not to do anything special. So, with the arrival of 25, he did what he did every day: a 30-point triple-double that would be special for almost anyone else. But for him it’s almost routine. And this time, he was worth it to win in Toronto by 125-136.
With 30 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds, the Slovenian actually became the third player in NBA history with the most triple-doubles of at least 30 points, reaching 39 in total. Only Russell Westbrook remains ahead with 48, whom at this rate it won’t take too long to catch up, and Oscar Roberson with 106, who does have a much larger gap. But if Luka gets to it…
What a night for Luka Doncic on his 25th birthday!
???? 30 PTS
???? 11 REB
???? 16 ASTHis 39th 30-point triple-double…. now the 3rd-most such games in NBA history ???? pic.twitter.com/5qbhOo8D2M
— NBA (@NBA) February 29, 2024
This morning’s match was not Doncic’s most inspired match in terms of outside accuracy (1/8), but he made up for it with his ability to go to the rim, make his defender fly with feints, and finish. More than half of his baskets came in the paint this time, where he found a reliable source of scoring to compensate for his shots not going in.
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Kyrie Irving, with 29 points, was also at a high level, and in fact was in charge of controlling the situation in the last quarter and keeping the Mavericks with a certain margin on the scoreboard. The former Nets player added 15 of his points in the fourth quarter, in which Dallas, although it never enjoyed a definitive advantage, did manage to maintain a certain cushion with which to not suffer. PJ Washington, for his part, finished third in scoring with 23, demonstrating his good adaptation to the system.
At home, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett led the Canadians with 28 and 26 points respectively, while Scottie Barnes had a pretty complete game by reaching 19 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. However, the Raptors defense practically never managed to contain the Texans, which prevented them from taking control of the match and made a comeback impossible when, thanks to a 0-9 run in the third quarter, the visitors went up 14 above. A difference that would change very little from then until the end.
(Cover photo: Cole Burston/Getty Images)
2024-02-29 07:03:49
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