Luka Doncic Makes Major NBA History in Mavs' Blowout Victory Over Pistons
DETROIT — With a focus on building momentum following a needed victory over the Miami Heat in their previous outing, the Dallas Mavericks (36-28) won against the Detroit Pistons (10-53) with 142-124 being the final score.
Luka Doncic produced another dynamic outing, totaling 39 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists on the night, adding three steals and two blocks.
“[It] just shows where he’s playing at right now," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said of Doncic. "The level that he’s at — to be able to score, to be able to find his teammates, and then lastly to be able to rebound the ball for us and help on the defensive end.”
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Doncic hauled in his 10th rebound with 3:17 remaining regulation, achieving a triple-double and extending his two historic streaks. He recorded his sixth consecutive game with a 30-point triple and his fifth straight 35-point triple-double. Both of those streaks are an NBA record. He checked out of the game after this feat.
"I mean, it's good, as long as we get the win," Doncic said. "We got two wins now in a row, so we gotta keep going like that."
Doncic was supported by Kyrie Irving's 21 points and five assists. Daniel Gafford and Tim Hardaway Jr. each scored 17 points apiece, while Derrick Jones Jr. added 12 points. Dallas thrived with defensive playmaking, recording 13 steals and eight blocks with 19 opponent turnovers and 35 points off giveaways.
"We're sharing the ball. It's not about can you get it? We're talking about getting a better shot," Kidd said. "I thought the big thing was the ball touching the paint. That's where we wanted to get to early and on a consistent basis tonight."
The Mavs made 14 shots from the perimeter, but were highly efficient from inside the arc, finishing by going 37-54 (68.5 percent) on those attempts along with shooting 26-32 (81.3 percent) on free throws.
Detroit was led by Cade Cunningham's 33 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds. Simone Fontecchio provided a major spark off the bench with 27 points, along with James Wiseman's 17 points and 12 rebounds. Jaden Ivey was the Pistons' only other double-figure scorer with 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
The Mavs jumped out to an early 13-6 lead after Doncic converted a catch-and-shoot jumper from beyond the arc. The Pistons quickly responded with a 6-0 run to make it a one-point game midway through the opening period. Detroit took an 18-17 lead forcing a turnover, leading to Cunningham finding James Wiseman for an alley-oop dunk in transition.
Neither team managed to create much for separation early, resulting in the Mavs being up 35-33 at the end of the first quarter. Kyrie Irving managed to start strong, scoring 11 points in the opening period, leading all scorers through this point, but went scoreless for the remainder of the half.
Doncic and Cunningham attempted to guide their respective teams throughout the second quarter. Led by Doncic, Dallas was up six points at numerous points in the second period before the Pistons rallied to cut it to two points by doubling Doncic for a stretch.
Doncic entered the game with five consecutive games with a 30-point triple-double and already had 26 points, six assists, and five rebounds before halftime. It was the Slovenian superstar's seventh half of the season recording 25-5-5, while the rest of the NBA only has four combined. Cunningham had a similar stat line with 24 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
Coming out of halftime, the Mavs began on a 10-4 run, pushing their advantage to double figures (79-69) for the first time in the game. Dallas went on to lead by 13 points and often held a double-figure edge with Doncic continuing to set the tone offensively, coupled with heightened defensive execution.
The Pistons did make it a nine-point game with 3:52 left in the third period using a run. A barrage of 3-pointers from Tim Hardaway Jr. while Doncic was on the bench helped push the Mavs up to 16 points (104-88) to end the period, including a buzzer-beater at the end of the quarter.
The separation the Mavs created occurred after going from allowing the Pistons to score 32.5 points per quarter in the first half to holding Detroit to scoring only 23 in the third quarter. Dallas had a 12-point scoring differential during the frame.
The Mavs began the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run, with Doncic dishing out two assists during the stretch. Dallas was up by a 23-point margin (111-88) as a result. Detroit proved unable to make any sort of rallying effort for the remainder of the game given the deficit the team faced.
With 7:03 left to play, Jalen Duren and P.J. Washington got into a scuffle after Duren fouled Daniel Gafford on a finish attempt. After a lengthy review from the officiating crew, Duren was ejected but Washington did not. Doncic made the technical free throw followed by Gafford splitting his two attempts, growing the Mavs' lead to 25.
“It’s basketball,” Gafford said. “I really don’t hold it against guys when it comes to them playing physical. I’ve always gotten thrown to the ground or in the face or in the back or so forth when I came to play these guys, so I know what I’m cut out for at the end of the day. Good to have guys come and just having my back in those situations.”
Looking ahead, the Mavs will end a two-game road trip with a matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night.
