Luka Doncic’s triple-double steers Dallas to lopsided win over Chicago

Luka Doncic was a beast during Dallas’ demolition exhibition in Chicago (AP photo/Erin Hooley via yahoo.com)

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Luka Doncic’s dominant streak of performances is still alive after posting his seventh straight triple-double outing in the ongoing NBA regular season on March 12, 2024.

After a 39-point triple-double against the Detroit Pistons three days ago, Doncic’s efficient court mastery was witnessed once again as he dropped 27 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a one-sided 127-92 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Doncic was all over the court directing traffic for the Mavericks and was a handful to handle for DeMar DeRozan and the whole Chicago squad.

The Slovenian superstar kicked off his hoops show by sharing the leather and running Dallas’ offensive sets to perfection.

With him leading the way on both ends of the floor, the Mavericks were able to establish a dominant first-quarter outing, outscoring the Bulls 44-16.

Despite Chicago fighting back in the following quarter, Doncic took matters into his own hands in the third period and torched the Bulls with his deep bag of offensive tricks.

From a slow scoring start, Doncic had taken over the game to help Dallas balloon their lead once again to a commanding 23 points.

Chicago desperately tried to salvage the final quarter by inserting an all-offensive lineup in the final frame but Doncic and the rest of the Mavericks protected their huge cushion to extend their winning streak to three straight games.

Aside from Doncic’s triple-double, the frontcourt duo of Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford spearheaded Dallas’ second-half surge.

Lively, the energetic rookie who was picked as the no. 12 overall selection, only missed a single attempt from the field, dropping 22 points built from 11/12 shooting from the field.

Meanwhile, Gafford, a late pick-up a month ago from the Washington Wizards, had a perfect outing from the field, shooting 9/9 while ending the win with 20 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.

Dallas will look to sustain their momentum and extend their winning streak to four on March 12, 2024, against the Golden State Warriors.