Luka Doncic scored the first 60-point ‘triple-double’ in NBA history to help the Dallas Mavericks claim a 126-121 overtime win over the New York Knicks.
The 23-year-old Slovenian racked up 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists, posting double figures in three key attacking metrics.
With the Mavericks down 115-113 in the final seconds, he deliberately missed a free throw, claimed a rebound, and scored a jumper to force overtime.
“I’m tired, I need a beer,” he said.
Doncic is only the seventh player to record a 50-point tripe-double in the NBA, and he becomes the youngest to achieve the feat, taking the record from all-time great Wilt Chamberlain.
His performance powered a superb comeback win for the hosts who trailed by 110-101 with fewer than 45 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Doncic’s decision to intentionally throw his free-throw attempt against the backboard, claim the ball in the ensuing melee and have the composure and accuracy to drain his shot, was the highlight of his team’s renaissance.
“I just threw it up, I was kind of lucky,” he admitted. “We were down, we came back, this is an amazing feeling.”
Doncic’s stellar game attracted praise from across the league and from giants of the game’s past.
“We are watching greatness. I’ve never seen anything like that ever,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tweeted.
DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls and the Washington Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma were among the present-day stars to express admiration, while two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant compared Doncic’s numbers to something out of a “video game” rather than reality.
It is a fourth-straight win for the Dallas Mavericks, who lie sixth in the Western Conference
Elsewhere, LeBron James impressed with 28 points as the Los Angeles Lakers ended a four-game losing streak by beating the Orlando Magic 129-110.
