Luka Doncic notches triple-double as Dallas Mavericks stay perfect
Saturday 26 October 2019 09:16, UK
Luka Doncic notched his first triple-double of the season as the Dallas Mavericks beat the New Orleans Pelicans to remain unbeaten.
Doncic, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year who had 34 points to lead the Mavericks to a season-opening win against Washington two nights earlier, finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to propel Dallas to a 123-116 win. He shot 10-of-19 from the field and 3-of-9 from three-point range.
The Pelicans tied a franchise record with 14 assists in the first quarter as they raced to a 41-27 lead at the end of the period. They shot 72 per cent from the floor.
Dallas responded with a 45-point second quarter as Kristaps Porzingis finished the half with 17 points.
Doncic drained a step-back three, albeit with the help of a friendly bounce off the rim, as the Mavs took a 72-64 half-time lead.
The Slovenian star opened the third quarter with a three-point play before finding Porzingis in the paint with a beautiful touch pass. With 1:47 left in the period, he split the Pelicans defense with a gorgeous move and scored with a lay-up.
With 4:24 left in the game and the score tied at 109, Doncic showed his strength after a Porzingis' pass found him in the lane. He scored from close range, despite contact from Lonzo Ball, and drew another three-point play.
Inside the final two minutes, Doncic teased the Pelicans defense before dancing inside and scoring with a lofted right-handed shot. He followed that with a high-arcing three-pointer that banked in off the glass to give the Mavericks a seven-point lead and seal the win.
Click the video at the top of the page to watch Doncic's best plays from the Mavericks 123-116 win.
