BOSTON – Look up the definition of “winning” in the dictionary, and there’s probably a picture of Luka Dončić’s smiling face
next to it.
That’s because Dončić is indeed winning right now. The six-year veteran point guard turned the tender age of 25 on Wednesday, and on his birthday it was he who came bearing gifts.
In Wednesday’s 136-125 victory over the Toronto Raptors, Dončić scored 30 points, snatched 11 rebounds and handed out 16 assists. Thus, he became the first player in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double on his birthday.
And all of this came just one day after Dončić tallied 45 points, grabbed nine boards, distributed 14 assists, picked up three steals and was 6-of-11 from three-point territory in Tuesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. That’s the first stat line of its kind in NBA history.
Counting the 33 points, six rebounds and six assists Dončić registered Sunday against Indiana, he is averaging 36 points, 8.7 rebounds and 12 assists on this four-game road trip which concludes with Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics.
Dončić registered his 11th triple-double of the season on Wednesday and has now scored 25 or more points in nine consecutive games. In addition, he leads the NBA in scoring (34.4), is second in three-pointers made (3.9) and third in assists (9.7).
That’s why Mavs guard Josh Green said “100 percent” that Dončić should be getting some more love to win this season’s Most Valuable Player award.
“I don’t understand,” Green said. “Luka is an amazing player and he definitely deserves to be talked about for MVP.”
Here are the three takeaways from Wednesday’s 11-point win over the Raptors.
P.J. DID A NUMBER ON OFFENSE: From an offensive standpoint, P.J. Washington had his coming out party against the Raptors. Washington
finished with 23 points in 31 minutes, and was 9-of-16 from the field, including 5-of-10 from beyond the three-point arc. It’s the most points Washington scored since he was traded to the Mavs on Feb. 8. It’s the most points Washington has scored since he tallied 26 points on Jan. 31 against the Chicago Bulls while he was still a member of the Charlotte Hornets. Washington poured in 10 of the first 16 points the Mavs scored against Toronto.
IRVING IN A (FOURTH QUARTER) ZONE: Once again, Mavs guard Kyrie Irving put his dazzling dribbling skills and shooting abilities on display in front of a sellout crowd. While having the crowd in a daze with the way he handles the basketball, Irving went on to score 29 points and was 11-of-20 from the field in 35 minutes. He also scored 15 of the 30 points the Mavs scored in the fourth quarter.
HARDAWAY BACK ON TRACK: For a few moments Wednesday, Tim Hardaway Jr. appeared to re-locate his shooting touch. Hardaway collected 16 points and converted four of his 10 attempts from three-point land. It’s the most points Hardaway scored since he tallied 19 points at the New York Knicks on Feb. 8. He also picked up four rebounds and handed out four assists.
X: @DwainPrice
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