Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots towards San Antonio Spurs ahead Zach Collins (23) within the first half of an NBA basketball recreation Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photograph/Richard W. Rodriguez)
DALLAS — Luka Doncic scored 39 factors in a triple-double and the Dallas Mavericks routed San Antonio 144-119 on Saturday evening after Spurs rookie star Victor Wembanyama was a late scratch when he sprained an ankle throughout warmups.
Doncic, who had 12 rebounds and recorded his tenth help simply earlier than leaving the sport for good on the finish of the third quarter, had his thirty sixth 30-point triple-double, one shy of LeBron James for third on the profession record.
“Everyone knows who he’s, what he’s doing in his twenty first yr within the NBA, which is unbelievable,” Doncic mentioned. “It means quite a bit.”
Luka Doncic stuffed the stat sheet with a TRIPLE-DOUBLE within the Mavericks’ win over the Spurs 📊
39 PTS / 12 REB / 10 AST pic.twitter.com/7QxIHpvJhO
— NBA (@NBA) December 24, 2023
The Spurs entered the sport on a 1-21 skid, and their luck didn’t get any higher when Wembanyama stepped on a ball boy’s foot after taking a number of steps following a shot earlier than the sport.
The 19-year-old sensation received his proper ankle retaped and wished to play, however coach Gregg Popovich held the almost 7-foot-4 Wembanyama out for precautionary causes.
Wembanyama had sat out two video games earlier in Milwaukee with soreness in the identical ankle. He would have been on a minutes restriction had he performed.
“If it was a playoff recreation, I in all probability would have performed him,” Popovich mentioned. “He’s not blissful about it, however I might relatively err on the conservative facet because it’s the identical ankle that he simply received a time limitation on.”
Jeremy Sochan had 23 factors and 9 rebounds for the Spurs, who misplaced their fourth straight since stopping an 18-game shedding streak, which set a franchise file for the second consecutive season.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 23 factors, and Dante Exum added 20 for Dallas.
The Mavs ended a three-game shedding streak an evening after Doncic and All-Star sidekick Kyrie Irving had been out in a 26-point loss at Houston. Doncic had a quadriceps pressure, and Irving has now missed eight consecutive video games with a proper heel bruise. Dallas is 4-4 in these video games.
“We nonetheless have some accidents, so we’ve received to nonetheless preserve it collectively,” Doncic mentioned. “Everyone’s received to remain collectively, and next-man-up mentality.”
Doncic, who’s 11 factors shy of 10,000 for his profession within the 24-year-old’s sixth season, was 13 of 27 from the sector, together with 5 of 10 from 3-point vary.
It was his sixth triple-double of the season three nights after Doncic thought he had one with 28 factors, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. A rebound was taken away within the official ultimate stats.
That 120-111 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers is the one recreation out of the previous 12 Doncic has performed that the four-time All-Star didn’t rating not less than 30.
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Spurs: Host Utah on Tuesday evening.
Mavericks: At Phoenix on Monday evening to wrap up the NBA’s Christmas schedule.