Amid their quest for a playoff spot, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks secured a crucial 109-99 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. Despite having a rough shooting night and exiting the game early, Doncic was once again one of his team’s top performers.
Doncic was ruled out due to left hamstring soreness with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. However, the game was virtually decided, with Dallas having a comfortable lead. The Mavericks led by as many as 18 points en route to their 10-point victory.
Doncic played the third-most minutes for his team (30), finishing second in scoring (21 points), assists (nine) and plus-minus (+14).
The five-time All-Star’s full stat line from Wednesday’s victory is as follows:
| MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | PF | +/- |
| 30 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 38.9% (7/18) | 16.7% (1/6) | 75.0% (6/8) | 0 | +14 |
Luka Doncic’s 20-point triple-double streak snapped in win over Warriors
Notably, Luka Doncic’s performance against Golden State marked his worst statistical outing in a while. He entered Wednesday riding an NBA-record-tying seven-game 20-point triple-double streak.
The 25-year-old was tied with NBA legends Michael Jordan (1989) and Oscar Robertson (1961) and had a chance to take sole possession of first place. Moreover, he had scored 25-plus points in 15 straight games. So, both his streaks were snapped.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd recently highlighted his struggle balancing winning games and continuing Doncic’s historic triple-double streak. During his 20-point triple-double streak, Doncic also set the NBA records for consecutive 35-point triple-doubles (five) and 30-point triple-doubles (six).
“Luka’s setting records and it becomes tough when you’re trying to win,” Kidd said. “You’re also trying to be respectful of the situation, to try to get him 30, because this is something that’s never been done before. Also, not putting him in a position to get hurt.”
While Doncic’s triple-double streak is over, the Mavericks (38-28) extended their winning streak to four games. Their victory moved them within 0.5 games of the sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns (38-27) and a chance at avoiding the play-in.
Following Wednesday’s win, Dallas will travel to OKC to take on the second-seeded Thunder (45-20) on Thursday, the second night of a back-to-back. So, the Mavericks will likely face a tough challenge trying to extend their winning streak to five games.
It remains to be seen if Doncic will be cleared to play against the Thunder. However, the Mavericks may take a precautionary approach with the superstar guard to avoid aggravating his injury.
