Luka Doncic Ties LeBron James on NBA All-Time 30-Point Triple-Double List as Mavs Fall to Lakers
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Things were looking up for the injury-riddled Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday as Luka Doncic made his return to action after missing three consecutive games with an ankle sprain.
The good news is that Doncic looked like he hadn't skipped a beat, putting up his usual MVP-like numbers with no signs of rust. The bad news is that, overall, the Mavs played with a severe lack of energy and fell to the Los Angeles Lakers, 127-110.
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In the loss, Doncic notched the 37th triple-double of his young career, finishing with 33 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and two blocks while shooting 12-24 from the field, including 2-9 from 3-point range and 7-9 on free throws in 36 minutes. Doncic tied his opponent, LeBron James, for third on the NBA's all-time 30-point triple-double list, and he's now just 11 away from tying Russell Westbrook for second all-time.
This is a great achievement for Doncic, no doubt, but he'd obviously enjoy it more if it had come with a win. After being down just two points at halftime, the Mavs imploded in the third quarter, losing the period by a 42-27 margin and not being able to claw back into the game.
The Mavs, now 24-18 on the season, travel to San Fransisco to take on Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors for one more road game before returning home for a two-game homestand. The Warriors will be playing heavy hearts, as their assistant coach, Dejan Milojevic suddenly passed away on Wednesday.
