Triple-double dominance by Dončić is the talk of the NBA

DETROIT – It’s all Luka Dončić all the time. And that goes for the entire NBA right now.

With the way he’s rambling through defenses with the greatest of ease, Dončić is the talk of the league, and rightfully so. It’s as if the Dallas Mavericks’ point guard has Superman powers, and not even a dose of kryptonite can slow him down.

Dončić took his high-wire act to Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, and when the dust settled, he had collected 39 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in leading the Mavs to a convincing 142-124 triumph over the Pistons. It was the sixth consecutive 30-point triple-double for Dončić , an NBA record.

In addition, he also extended his NBA record of consecutive 35-point triple-double games to five in a row. In short, the kind of dominance Dončić has displayed in nearly two weeks since his history-making journey took off is unconscionable.

“It’s amazing to see night-in and night-out just what he brings to the game and just how he manipulates the game and just puts it our favor,” Mavs center Daniel Gafford said. “We can just sit back and watch.

“He draws a lot of attention coming off screens, so it makes a lot of guys on the team very in-tune, and we’re just prepared for it. So, we’re just going to feed off of his energy.”

Dončić scored 21 of his points in the second quarter after scoring only five in the first quarter, Needless to say, he was trending throughout the game as NBA fans across the country are tapping into social media trying to follow the astonishing numbers Dončić is putting up on a nightly basis.

With the 26 points, five rebounds and six assists Dončić had by halftime on Saturday, that’s the seventh time this season he’s enjoyed a half that consisted of at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists. By contrast, the rest of the over 400 players in the entire NBA have combined for just four halves with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists this season.

Here are the three takeaways from the 18-point win over the Pistons.

GAFFORD OWNED THE PAINT: Any member of the Pistons who came inside the painted area on Saturday had to deal with the traffic cop known as Daniel Gafford. The Mavs’ center did a solid job patrolling the middle as he finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots in just 24 minutes. Not bad for a guy still trying to find his way around the office after the Mavs acquired him in that Feb. 8 trade with the Washington Wizards.

MICHIGAN MAN THRIVES AGAIN: If this is Michigan, that meant it was time for Mavs guard Tim Hardaway Jr. to shine again. Hardaway, who played his college basketball at the University of Michigan, looked right at home Saturday when he finished with 17 points in just 18 minutes. Hardaway was 6-of-13 from the field, including 4-of-8 from downtown. He also drained a long three-pointer at the third quarter buzzer that sent the Mavs into the final quarter nursing a 104-88 lead.

OFFENSE WAS ROLLING: This was a night that saw the Mavs’ offense sizzle like a steak on a grill. The Mavs scored at least 34 points in all four quarters, topped 38 in the fourth quarter. Dallas also shot 55.4 percent from the field and 36.8 percent (14-of-38) from behind the three-point stripe. On a night when it mattered not that the Pistons outrebounded the Mavs, 55-36, what Dallas did in tickling the twine is why this game turned out in their favor.

X: @DwainPrice