The Mavericks are on fire with six victories in the last seven games. Their Saturday night 125-124 win over the reincarnated Wizards allowed them to run over the Lakers and take the #5 seed in the Western Conference.
The magician in their unit, Luka Doncic, remained the top architect of the crucial last-second win. Apart from pulling his team out of the play-in trap, Luka has also collected a few personal records in this season. And after his phenomenal play against Washington, he now has more reasons to take pride.
Luka Doncic beats Michael Jordan
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The Slovenian had a unique night where he scored 31 points, 12 rebounds, and 20 assists in under 40 minutes of playtime. His 30-10-20 figure put him alongside Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Russell Westbrook as the only players ever to put up those numbers.
Plus, his 30-point triple-double helped him pass Michael Jordan and tie with Larry Bird & Magic for sixth place.
Luka Dončić just recorded his 17th career triple-double with 30 points, moving him past Michael Jordan on the all-time list.
Dončić has now moved into a tie with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson for 6th place on the all-time 30-point triple-double list. pic.twitter.com/3iK53Ggfzz
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) May 2, 2021
The top five on this coveted list are Sir Robertson (106), Westbrook (46), LeBron James (34), James Harden (30), and Wilt Chamberlain (21). If Luka continues to drop such games at the current pace, he can at least leave LeBron behind to sit inside the top three very soon.
Read Also – ‘Not Obviously True’: JJ Redick Opens up on Luka Doncic Practicing Trick Shots
The Mavericks enjoyed the last laugh against a tough Wizards
More than Wizards vs Mavs, it was Russell Westbrook vs Luka Doncic. Both the players led their respective teams in points, assists, and rebounds.
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Russ’s 42-point double-double could’ve been a triple-double with one more assist. However, that won’t pinch him as much as the loss would.
Although the game ran neck-to-neck in the decisive quarter, the Wizards had a 2-point lead until the final 35 seconds. That was when Luka’s jump shot played an equalizer to make the score 122-122.
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After that, Bradley Beal’s FT conversions again put the Wizards ahead with around 15 seconds remaining. But then, a game-winning three-pointer from Dorian Finney-Smith on Doncic’s assist followed by a missed buzzer-beater from 29-point Beal closed the deal for the Mavs.
Now, the Wizards are hanging by a thread while the Mavs have an opportunity to stay put on 5th. Do you see these teams making big this year? Help us know which one’s your favorite in the comments below.