Luka Doncic had another triple-double. The only thing he couldn't do was keep his streak going.
Doncic scored 27 points and also recorded a triple-double, but fell short of 30 points for the first time in seven games. On Monday night, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Chicago Bulls 127-92.
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.
“The important thing is to beat him,” coach Jason Kidd said. “I don't know if those numbers really mean anything to him today. But when he retires, he's going to look back and realize that the game he was playing was on a different level than anyone else. You will notice that.”
Overall, Doncic has recorded seven consecutive 20-point triple-doubles, tying Michael Jordan (1989) and Oscar Robertson (1961) for the longest streak in NBA history, according to ESPN Stats & Information. ing.
Former Bulls center Daniel Gafford made all nine of his field goals, extending his streak to 28 and seven shy of an NBA record. Wilt Chamberlain scored 35 consecutive goals for the Philadelphia 76ers from February 17, 1967 to February 28, 1967.
“My philosophy is certainly to be consistent and have the mindset that I’m going to get everything done regardless of who’s in front of me or not,” Gafford said. “At the end of the day, it’s either you dunk it or you get it to the rim.”
Dallas defeated Chicago by 28 points in the first quarter, and Doncic dictated the flow of the game. The Mavericks suffered their most lopsided loss to the Bulls while allowing their lowest points of the season.
Derek Lively II finished with 22 points and Gafford had 20 points. The two shot 20-of-21, making them the first players since New York's Nate Robinson and Wilson Chandler on Nov. 12, 2008 in Memphis, to score 20 each while shooting over 95 percent. They became the first pair to score more points.
The Mavericks won their third straight game after losing three in a row, shooting about 55% from the field as Doncic and their big men beat them in the pick-and-roll.
“We allowed a lot of rolls to the basket and offensive rebounds,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “We have to be more drawn in than we were before. … We were a little too worried about getting back to the 3-point line instead of saying, 'Hey, we're going to take the roll.'”
Onuralp Bitim led Chicago with 17 points. DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic each scored 13 points for the Bulls, who allowed 60 points in the paint and lost their second straight game.
The Mavericks raced to a 62-42 lead in the first quarter and gave up their lowest points of the season. They outscored Chicago 44-16 early.
Doncic missed out on a triple-double with 15 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds in the first half alone. He finished with 15 points, six assists, and six rebounds in the first quarter.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this article.
