Luka Doncic scripts NBA history with triple-double

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As the Dallas Mavericks scripted an overtime 126-121 win against the New York Knicks, Luka Doncic became the first player in the NBA to score 60 points, with 21 rebounds, 10 assists, which pushed the Mavericks to victory though they had been trailing by 9 points, with 33 seconds left on the clock. According to ESPN, in the last 20 seasons, the 13,884 NBA teams that were trailing by at least 9 points with 35 seconds or less left on the clock, lost the game.

Doncic’s genius led to him missing a free throw on purpose to score on a rebound to tie the match after totalling 10 points in the last minute and taking it to overtime. Subsequently, he scored 7 points more to secure an impossible victory for the Mavericks.

His performance places Doncic alongside James Harden, who is the only other NBA player to score a 60-point triple double, and also makes him the sixth player to score at least six 40-point triple doubles, the other five being LeBron James, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain.

According to head coach Jason Kidd, at the age of 23, Doncic has almost seen it all, and possesses a competitiveness of a very high level. In his opinion, even when the team were down 10 points, a position that they have found themselves in earlier in this season, Doncic played a key role in holding the team together and building trust. After their victory, the Mavericks climbed to the sixth position in the Western Conference, while the Knicks have slipped to the sixth position in the Eastern Conference.