Mavs' Luka Doncic Could Make Major NBA History Against Curry-Less Warriors
DALLAS — When the Dallas Mavericks take on the Golden State Warriors during Wednesday night's matchup, Luka Doncic has a chance to extend a few remarkable triple-double streaks. However, in terms of the head-to-head matchup.
After recording 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists against the Chicago Bulls during Monday's 127-92 victory, Doncic has recorded seven consecutive triple-doubles. The game began the the Mavs leading 44-16 at the end of the first quarter, with Dallas never looking back. By scoring 92 points, the Bulls were held to the lowest opponent scoring total of any team facing the Mavs this season, marking the second time a team scored under 95 points and the fourth time scoring under 100.
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Doncic narrowly missed continuing his record-setting streak of 30-point triple-doubles after checking out of the game with 6:09 left in regulation due to the lopsided score, a feat that placed him ahead of Russell Westbrook in NBA history. With 17 triple-doubles this season, Doncic remains in contention for most of these performances behind Domantas Sabonis (22) and Nikola Jokic (21).
With one more triple-double, Doncic will break his franchise record for most in a single season, which was set in 2019-20. However, when comparing to NBA history, Doncic's streak is currently tied for the third-longest ever. He's also tied with Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson for the most consecutive 25-point triple-doubles (seven). However, the focus for the Slovenian superstar remains to guide the Mavs to needed victories, not statistics.
"Luka's setting records and it becomes tough when you're trying to win the game," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. "You're also trying to be respectful of the situation, so 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."
Another historic achievement against the Bulls included Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, who each scored over 20 points while combining to shoot 20-21 from the field. Lively II contributed 22 points on 11-12 shooting, while Gafford added 20 points without missing a shot, going 9-9 from the field. This achievement marked the first occasion in Mavericks history where two players managed to score 20 points each while shooting 95.0 percent or better in the same game. The previous NBA duo to accomplish this feat were Nate Robinson (8-8 shooting) and Wilson Chandler (11-12 shooting) for the New York Knicks against the Memphis Grizzlies on November 12, 2008.
Gafford has made 28 field goals consecutively, setting the record for the longest streak of made shots in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97). He needs to make seven more shots in a row to tie Wilt Chamberlain's NBA record, who made 35 shots consecutively as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967.
"My philosophy for sure is just being consistent, having a mindset of just going to finish everything no matter if there's somebody in front of you or if there isn't somebody in front of you," Gafford said. "At the end of the day, either dunking it or putting it in the rim."
Amid a three-game winning streak, Dallas holds a 37-28 record, ranking eighth in the Western Conference standings entering this game, trailing the sixth-ranked Phoenix Subs by one game and the seventh-ranked Sacramento Kings by a half-game. However, the Mavs remain just 1.5 games up on the Los Angeles Lakers and hold a 2.5 game-lead on the Warriors. Without Curry available to play due to a right ankle sprain, the Mavs have an opportunity to take down the shorthanded Warriors in the first of three remaining matchups this season.
In their one encounter this season back in late December, Doncic guided Dallas to a 132-122 victory by recording 39 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds, while being aided by five double-figure scoring performances despite Kyrie Irving being sidelined. Curry had 25 points and seven assists, while Chris Paul added 24 points and six assists, along with four other players scoring 13 or more points.
In their previous outing, the Warriors secured a 112-102 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Golden State held the opposition to just one point over the final 2:43 of regulation, while using a collective effort. Jonathan Kumings recorded 22 points and five rebounds. Klay Thompson had 21 points with four made 3-pointers. Paul had a near triple-double with 19 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Andrew Wiggins totaled 16 points and four rebounds. Meanwhile, Trayce-Jackson Davis added 13 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists off the bench, while Brandin Podziemski chipped in an additional 14 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
Paul emphasized the need for aggression and adaptability without Curry, highlighting the team's collective effort to compensate for the loss of their leading scorer.
"I told Wiggs before the game: Me and him needed to be more aggressive," Paul said. "Our team is a lot different when Steph is out here playing. When he's out, we have to figure things out."
As the Mavs and Warriors prepare to face off, the spotlight remains on Doncic's quest to continue his historic run and the Warriors' ability to adjust without Curry, setting the stage for an intriguing clash during Wednesday's NBA action.
