Mavericks’ Luka Doncic Makes History vs. Detroit Pistons on Saturday
For the first time this season on Saturday, the Detroit Pistons and the Dallas Mavericks battled it out. Heading into the game, the Mavs were unsure about the status of the superstar guard, Luka Doncic.
Dealing with an elbow sprain, Doncic was downgraded to questionable on the Mavericks’ injury report. He was considered a game-time decision.
Considering the state of the two teams on Saturday, the Mavericks probably would’ve felt comfortable playing in the absence of Doncic, but Dallas needed a win to avoid slipping further down the Western Conference standings.
With Doncic feeling healthy enough to push through the sprain and play, he was cleared for action ahead of the game. The young superstar didn’t miss a step.
Checking in for a little over 35 minutes on Saturday night, Doncic expectedly led the Mavericks in shots taken, putting up 24 attempts. From deep, Doncic launched 13 shots, with four of them sinking successfully.
From the field, Doncic averaged 54 percent on Saturday night. Getting to the free throw for five trips, he was near-perfect from the charity stripe as he hit on all but one of his ten shots from the foul line.
In the scoring department, Doncic collected 39 points.
Beyond that, he snagged a triple-double, which has become the norm as of late.
As a playmaker, Doncic dished out ten assists. Then on the glass, he came down with ten boards. With another triple-double that involves over 30 points of scoring, Doncic made history against the Pistons by becoming the first player in NBA history to have six consecutive 30-point triple doubles.
Doncic’s solo success led to team success for Dallas on Saturday night. While the Pistons have managed to put up some solid fights lately, even against playoff-contending teams, a hungry Dallas team couldn’t risk falling into a trap game.
With a 142-124 win, the Mavs left Detroit by issuing the Pistons their 53rd loss of the year. Moving to 36-28, the Mavericks remain in eighth place in the West, trailing the Phoenix Suns by one game.
