DETROIT – Another game. Another 35-point triple-double for Luka Dončić.
That’s the way things have transpired lately for the Dallas Mavericks’ six-year veteran point guard. No one seems to be able to stop the runaway freight train that is Dončić, and he’s mowing down every opponent in his path.
On Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 20,062 at Little Caesars Arena, the Detroit Pistons took their turn at taking on the near-impossible – and they failed. Dončić scored 39 points, hauled in 10 rebounds and distributed 10 assists in guiding the Mavs to a 142-124 victory over the Pistons.
It was the sixth straight 30-point triple-double for Dončić, an NBA record for most consecutive games of such instances. He also extended his NBA record of consecutive 35-point triple-double games to five in a row.
“That just shows where he’s playing at right now, the level that he’s at,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “To be able to score and also being able to find his teammates, and then lastly being able to rebound the ball to help us on the defensive end.”
For the 36-28 Mavs, the road trip ends with Monday’s game in Chicago against the Bulls before they travel back home to host the Golden State 
Warriors on Wednesday.
Since all NBA arenas are equipped with live stats on the scoreboard, fans can instantly see how many points, rebounds and assists their favorite player has accumulated. In this case, for about four minutes, fans could see that Dončić was just one rebound away from collecting his fifth consecutive 35-point triple-double.
And then, when Dončić leapt and grabbed his 10th rebound, the players on the Mavs’ bench jumped and cheered, and many in the crowd also cheered.
Former Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams, who is in his first season coaching the Pistons, marvels at what Dončić has been able to accomplish. He especially was wowed about how large Dončić is.
“Being in the West, we saw (the Mavs) a lot and that was the thing that I was blown away by,” Williams said. “Standing on the sideline and being next to a guy like that, I’m not a small dude and he’s almost as big as I am. To be able to move like that, he’s going to draw contact and he’s smart. So, we practice all year on techniques to stay out of foul trouble.
“Other than the swipe through, I don’t think he’s a manipulator in that way. He’s not a head flopper. Some of those guys drive you nuts, especially if you have hair, which I don’t. I think he’s just big and strong and smart.”
Dončić was 13-of-24 from the field, 4-of-13 from beyond the three-point arc and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. He also had three steals and two
blocks, and had the Pistons under his thumb all night.
On his string of record-breaking 30-point triple-doubles, Dončić said: “It’s good, as long as we get the win. We got two wins now in a row, so we’ve got to keep going like that.”
Kyrie Irving scored 11 of his 21 points in the first quarter, which ended with the Mavs holding a slim 35-33 lead. And with Dončić pouring in 21 points in the second quarter, they bolted ahead 69-65 at the game’s midway point.
“(I was) just feeling comfortable,” Dončić said. “They had been in a lot of close games, so for us to get out and do our job, it wasn’t an easy game.”
Dallas built a 104-88 lead entering the fourth quarter as it scored at least 34 points in all four quarters. That efficiency helped the Mavs shoot 55.4 percent from the field and 36.8 percent (14-of-38) from three-point range.
The Mavs received a big game from Tim Hardaway Jr., who made 4-of-8 three pointers and finished with 17 points.
“I think with him being able to knock down four threes — with two of them being four-point plays — I thought again just the shots that he took were 
great looks,” Kidd said. “You could see he’s starting to turn the corner here.
“As we talked about with his struggles, we need him. It just shows the guys are trying to get him shots and he’s getting aggressive and he’s taking the shots when he’s open.”
Not to be outdone, Daniel Gafford was 7-of-7 from the field and finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in just 24 minutes. Gafford set a Mavs franchise record with 19 consecutive field goals made, breaking the previous record of 18 in a row by Dwight Powell and Dereck Lively II, the latter of whom sat out Saturday’s game for personal reasons.
“I felt like I came out and was trying to take that next step forward and just being physical,” Gafford said. “And also being in the right spots on the defensive end trying to be the anchor.
“I was just being there for my teammates. It’s a fast-paced game and there’s a lot of things that are going to happen down the stretch, and a lot of guys
are probably going to get beat off the dribble at the end of the day. So, I’m the last line of defense, so I’ve got to protect home.”
The game got a little chippy after Gafford produced a pair of dunks to give the Mavs a 116-93 lead. When Gafford attacked the basket again, he was met by a hard foul from Jalen Duren.
From there, Duren pushed P.J. Washington, Washington pushed back and staff from both teams rushed to the court to help restore order. In the aftermath, Duren was assessed two technical fouls and ejected from the game, and Washington was charged with a technical foul.
“It was pretty much a hard foul,” Gafford said, ‘’and I got pushed to the ground afterwards. It’s basketball. I really don’t hold it against guys when it comes to them playing physical.
“I’ve always gotten thrown to the ground or hit in the face or hit in the back of the head. I know I got to prepare for the physical side of it.”
After the fracas was over, the Mavs went on to lead by as much as 25 points, and the 33 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists Detroit got from Arlington native Cade Cunningham was no match for what Dončić was able to accomplish.
“I think it’s my best season for sure,” Dončić said. “But I’ve still got a lot to improve.”
X: @DwainPrice
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