‘Never seen anything like that ever’: The ‘maddening’ truth behind historic NBA explosion

On Christmas Day, the Dallas Mavericks unveiled a statue to their former nice Dirk Nowitzki however after Luka Doncic’s historic triple double they may have to fee one other monument.

Doncic delivered an astonishing 60-point triple-double as he led the Mavericks to a 126-121 additional time victory over the New York Knicks.

The Slovenian added 21 rebounds and 10 assists, changing into the primary participant in NBA historical past with a triple-double that includes at the very least 60 factors and 20 rebounds.

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“It’ll be another statue in Dallas… Luka is like that,” quipped former NBA MVP Kevin Garnett.

Mavs proprietor Mark Cuban actually wasn’t going to dampen the passion after watching the 23-year-old’s jaw-dropping show of dominance.

“We are watching greatness… I’ve never seen anything like that ever,” he wrote on twitter.

Dallas coach Jason Kidd, who ended his taking part in profession ranked fourth in all-time triple doubles within the NBA, mentioned the followers had been privileged to see such expertise on courtroom.

“We sit here every night and we’re lucky. We can’t take him for granted. Again, people get their money’s worth when they come watch him play. He puts on a show,” he added.

“He’s special. The history of the game is written by the players and it was written again tonight. For a player, Luka, doing something that’s never been done before. It’s hard to do,” he added.

So exhausting in truth that Doncic was simply the second participant in NBA historical past to attain 60 factors in a triple-double.

James Harden scored 60 factors with 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a recreation for Houston in 2018.

For journalist Ryen Russillo, Doncic’s historic efficiency was simply additional proof of what we already knew — that attempt as it’s possible you’ll, the Slovenian celebrity is “impossible” to defend.

“When I watch him I am constantly left with, ‘What are you supposed to do with him defensively?’…. he is the easiest scorer in the NBA, it is so easy for him,” Russillo mentioned on his podcast.

“… You have Luka who is this big and if you played basketball, understands angles and knows how to put his body into you, and then has the touch and the vision. It feels impossible.

“If you trap him, especially if you trap him consecutively, it’s over. He’s going to figure out how you’re trapping, going to bring you to one side and swing it back the other way and it’s a 4-on-3.

“… If help off the roll man, he’s going to lob it. If you help off the shooters, he’s going to find him… if you don’t help off the shooters he’s going to go one-on-one and he’s too big. It’s maddening to try to defend Luka.”

The efficiency was much more spectacular than the pure numbers – spectacular although they had been.

The Knicks had been up by 9 with 33.9 seconds remaining in regulation, however Doncic impressed Dallas to dramatically take the sport into additional time.

Doncic made the sport tying shot himself after intentionally lacking a free throw and as each side scrambled for the rebound he muscled for the ball and located the basket.

Doncic then scored seven extra in additional time as Dallas emerged victors from what was arguably the sport of the common season up to now.

“Just an unbelievable game,” added NBA insider Shams Charania mentioned on Fan Duel TV.

“He [Doncic] scored or assisted on 85 of the 126 points. They were down nine points with about 35 seconds left. That’s not a game that you win. The Mavs had no business winning that game. What Luka did is he had so many clutch plays down the stretch.

“I don’t know if anyone has had the amount of clutch players that Luka has had in this type of performance. He’s making a knack of hitting these clutch shots.”

Journalist Monica McNutt, in the meantime, mentioned on ESPN’s ‘First Take’ that Doncic’s exhibiting on Wednesday will “live up there with the greatest regular season performances we’ve seen”.

“I do think what we saw last night was spectacular and was absolutely historic,” she added.

Coach Kidd mentioned the dedication that Doncic confirmed to discover a approach to win was typical of his method.

“He’s all about winning. He believes he can win every night. As a teammate and a coach, that’s who you want in that locker room.”

Doncic performed for Real Madrid in Spain earlier than he was taken by the Mavericks in 2018, after the Atlanta Hawks traded him proper after securing him within the draft.

The Slovenian was mentored by Nowitzki when he arrived in Texas, the pair taking part in collectively within the German’s ultimate season in 2018/19 and it was Nowitzki’s franchise document of 53 factors in a recreation that he smashed on Tuesday.

Nowitzki was a 14-time All-Star and the primary European participant to begin in an All-Star recreation, the primary European MVP in addition to the highest-scoring foreign-born participant in NBA historical past.

“When you think of Dallas, you think of Dirk,” Doncic mentioned after the statue ceremony.

Having performed a document 21 years for the Mavericks a few of Nowitzki’s information will certainly stay untouched.

But Doncic, who already has extra 50 level common season video games than the German, is actually on the best way to incomes his personal place in Mavericks historical past.