DALLAS (AP) – Luka Doncic had 35 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to become the second NBA player to record five consecutive 30-point triple-doubles, and the Dallas Mavericks rallied past the Miami Heat 114-108 yesterday.
Doncic matched Russell Westbrook, who had five consecutive 30-point triple-doubles in 2017 for Oklahoma City. The All-Star, who leads the league in scoring, also became the first player in history with four straight 35-point triple-doubles.
This was the first of those games that Dallas won, however. The Mavericks snapped a three-game skid.
“It’s great, especially when it comes with a win,” Doncic said.
Doncic shot 12 of 24 overall and seven of 13 on three-pointers in 40 minutes.
“I’ve always said we can’t take that young man for granted,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “You’re seeing something as rare as a Picasso.”
Kyrie Irving added 23 points for Dallas. The Mavericks trailed 101-100 before a 10-4 run that included 3-pointers by Doncic, Dante Exum and Irving.
Exum began the run with a 3 that just beat the shot clock. Doncic’s turnaround, step-back 3 also barely beat the buzzer after a wild scramble for the ball. After Terry Rozier hit from deep to pull Miami within 106-104, Irving made his three after a missed Dallas shot was touched by multiple players.
“The three (by Doncic) with no time on the shot clock – everybody just knows he was going to make it,” Kidd said. “But that doesn’t happen for everybody.”
Doncic said he saw the rim “a little bit” as he released the ball. “Once I let it go, I knew it was going in,” he said.
“Doncic – I’ve seen that play a lot at the buzzer,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And Irving hit one as well on a three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust on a rebound, kind of bobbled, tipped, and, of course, it ended up in his hands wide open. And that just kind of gave them a little more separation.”
Rozier had 27 points and 11 assists, his highest-scoring game since being acquired from Charlotte in late January. Duncan Robinson, making a sixth straight start in place of the injured Tyler Herro, scored 19 points, 14 in the first half, and Jimmy Butler finished with 14.
The Heat were 17 of 38 on 3-pointers, hitting 10 in the first half, after coming in averaging 12.4 per game. Rozier and Robinson were each five of eight behind the arc.
Miami came in having won seven of eight.
