Luka Doncic scored 27 points and also recorded a triple-double, but failed to score 30 points for the first time in seven games as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Chicago Bulls 127-92 on Monday night.
Doncic had 14 assists and 12 rebounds, but suffered a blowout midway through the fourth quarter, ending his NBA record for consecutive 30-point triple-doubles with just six.
Daniel Gafford made history by going 9-for-9, extending his consecutive shot attempts to 28. This is the longest stretch since the NBA began tracking play-by-play data in 1996-97, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He finished with 20 points.
Dallas defeated Chicago by 28 points in the first quarter, and Doncic dictated the flow of the game. The Mavericks surrendered their lowest point total of the season while suffering the most lopsided loss to the Bulls.
Derek Lively II scored 22 points, and the Mavericks won their third straight game after losing three in a row with a shooting percentage of about 55%.
Onuralp Bitim led Chicago with 17 points. DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic each scored 13 points, and the Bulls were dominated from the start, losing their second straight game.
The Mavericks raced to a 62-42 lead in the first quarter and half, giving up their fewest points of the season. They outscored Chicago 44-16 early.
Doncic had 15 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in the first half, coming just short of a triple-double. He finished with 15 points, six assists, and six rebounds in the first quarter.
Dallas outscored Chicago 19-2 in the final 3:45 of the period, starting with a dunk by Lively. Doncic had eight points and two 3-pointers in the span, including a step-back shot from beyond the arc late in the quarter.
After Chicago rimmed out on a Coby White three, Josh Green scored one for Dallas as time expired, making the game 28 points.
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Mavericks: Host Golden State on Wednesday.
Bulls: Visit Indiana on Wednesday. ___
