Luka Doncic had 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, becoming the second NBA player to record a 30-point triple-double in five consecutive years, and the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat 114-108.
DALLAS – Luka Doncic had 35 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, becoming the second NBA player to record a 30-point triple-double in five consecutive years, and the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat by 114 on Thursday night. Defeated by 108.
Doncic matched Russell Westbrook, who had his fifth straight 30-point triple-double in 2017 with Oklahoma City. The All-Star, who is the league's leading scorer, also became the first player in history to record a 35-point triple-double four years in a row.
However, this was the first game that Dallas won. The Mavericks lost three games in a row.
“It's great, especially when it comes with a win,” Doncic said.
Doncic made 12 of 24 overall and 7 of 13 from 3-point range in 40 minutes.
“I've always said don't take that young man for granted,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “You're looking at something as rare as Picasso.”
Kyrie Irving added 23 points for Dallas. The Mavericks led 101-100 before going on a 10-4 run that included 3-pointers from Doncic, Dante Exum and Irving.
Exum started off with three shots just ahead of the shot clock. Doncic's turnaround, step-back 3, also barely missed the buzzer after a frantic scramble for the ball. After Terry Rozier hit a hit from deep to pull Miami within 106-104, Irving scored three points after Dallas' missed shots were touched by multiple players.
“(Doncic's) three with no time on the shot clock. Everybody knew he was going to make it,” Kidd said. “But it doesn't happen to everyone.”
Doncic said he could see the rim “a little bit” as he released the ball. “Once I let it go, I could see it coming in,” he says.
“I've seen a lot of Doncic play at the buzzer,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And Irving also hit it on the rebound at 3 yards and a dust-up, but it kind of wavered and tilted and, of course, it went wide in his hands. And that gave them a little more separation.”
Rozier had 27 points and 11 assists, his highest scoring total since being acquired from Charlotte in late January. Duncan Robinson, starting for the sixth straight year in place of injured Tyler Herro, scored 19 points, including 14 in the first half, and Jimmy Butler finished with 14 points.
The Heat made 17 of 38 3-pointers after averaging 12.4 points per game, including 10 in the first half. Rozier and Robinson were each 5 of 8 behind the arc.
Miami entered the match having won seven of eight games.
Butler extended his streak of consecutive games with at least one steal and at least one 3-point shot to 15, the longest streak of his career and tying the franchise record set by Rafer Alston in 2004.
Miami backup forward Kevin Love missed his fourth straight game with a heel injury.
The Heat announced that reserve guard Josh Richardson will be out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury that will keep him sidelined since February 11.
next
Heat: Complete back-to-back games Friday in Oklahoma City.
Mavericks: At Detroit on Saturday.
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