December 27, 2022.
This date in the NBA record books can’t be more historic enough with Luka Doncic transforming into a greatness personified.
Doncic channelled his all-time great powers as he rallied the Dallas Mavericks to a 126-121 come from behind overtime win over the New York Knicks, going monstrous with 60 points, 21 boards and 10 assists in a classic performance.
As such, Doncic became the only player in league history to cap off a 60-20-10 statline in a single game.
“I’m tired as hell,” an exhausted Doncic said in postgame. “I need a recovery beer.”
Behind his gigantic numbers is a marvellous leadership he made to lead the Mavs to victory. Dallas was down by nine with 33 seconds left in the regulation, but the Slovenian sensation had some other plans in his mind.
Doncic charged the Mavericks to an unthinkable, forcing an overtime with a dramatic putback shot off from his intentionally missed free throw. As such, Dallas dominated the overtime in points over New York, 11-6, to snatch their fourth-straight win.
This season’s Dallas just became the first club in the NBA to overcome odds and win the game amid being down by nine with 35 seconds left or fewer, breaking the streak while carving 1-13,884 on the lengthy, historic list.
“That was really impressive,” Dončić said, via Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “The whole team was: keep going. Zero-in-13,000-plus games in 35 seconds. That’s impressive. Everybody just kept it together. We believed.”
To add up on Doncic’s legendary display, he just tallied the fourth triple-double to have 50 points and 20 boards or higher in NBA history, joining Elgin Baylor (1961) and Wilt Chamberlain (1963, 1968).
Moreover, he surpassed Dirk Nowitzki in the Mavs franchise’ record in points made in a single game, wherein the former German superstar tallied 53 back in 2004.
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