TORONTO (AP) — Luka Doncic's 79th career triple-double moved the Dallas Mavericks star past some impressive NBA talent.
Doncic had 30 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his second straight triple-double as the Mavericks extended their winning streak to seven games with a 125-118 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.
This triple-double moved Doncic past Wilt Chamberlain and James Harden on the NBA’s all-time list and into sole possession of seventh place.
Next in Doncic’s sights? Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, who had 107 triple-doubles in his 19-year NBA career.
“I guess I’ve got to sit him,” Kidd joked of Doncic.
Don’t count on that. Doncic will go for his third straight triple-double when the Mavs face Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City in an NBA Cup game on Tuesday night.
Doncic had 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds by halftime against the Raptors. He banked home a 35-foot 3-pointer at the second-quarter buzzer that gave Dallas a 70-54 lead at the break, and earlier threw a no-look, over-the-head assist to Irving for a 3-pointer in the first.
Doncic reached his triple-double on a defensive rebound with 1:58 left in the third. He had 21 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in Thursday’s win at Washington.
“That’s an incredible feat for Luka,” Kidd said of Doncic's move past Chamberlain and Harden. “When you talk about his skill set, filling up the stat sheet, he’s had two here, he can run them off. We always expect him to have a triple-double or we sometimes take him for granted for triple-doubles. I think right now you can see that he’s starting to get into a groove.”
Doncic further impressed his coach by throwing several long assists against Toronto, including some from under his own basket.
“It’s just incredible, the ability, the strength to be able to throw it that far,” Kidd said. “He probably could have been a quarterback for the Cowboys.”
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Ian Harrison, The Associated Press
