Doncic’s Historic Streak Ends as Mavericks Cruise Past Bulls

NBA superstar Luka Dončić recorded a triple-double for the seventh straight game as the Mavericks routed the Bulls, 127-92, on Monday.

Dončić posted 27 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists along with a steal in the blowout win despite not having the most efficient shooting night, going 9-for-23 from the field at the United Center in Chicago.

While the 25-year-old stuffed the stat sheet yet again, his historic streak of triple-doubles with at least 30 points ended at six games when head coach Jason Kidd pulled him from action during the fourth quarter with the Mavericks up by 33 points.

“Just understanding Luka setting records, it becomes tough when you’re trying to win the game and you’re also trying to be respectful of the situation,” Kidd said.

Dončić, who is averaging 34.6 points per game and 10.2 assists since the All-Star break, has been on a dominant run since returning from the break.

The Mavericks made just under 50% of their shots as they ripped through the Bulls defense. Dallas got considerable production out of its big man duo of Derrick Lively II and Daniel Gafford, who scored 22 and 20 points respectively.

Gafford, formerly of the Bulls, was 9-for-9 during the matchup and has not missed a single shot in his last four games. He has now made 37 consecutive field goals, the most since play-by-play stats started being recorded in the 1997-98 season.

Onuralp Bitim, who recently had his two-way contract guaranteed by the Bulls, led the team in scoring with 17 points off the bench. Six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, a participant in the All-Star Game along with Dončić, was held to only 13 points in a dismal shooting night for the whole squad.

The Bulls fall to 31-34 after the disappointing home loss and remain the 9th seed in the East as a spot in the postseason Play-In Tournament looks increasingly likely. The Mavericks are also in a Play-In position in the highly competitive West at No. 8 but have a significantly better record at 37-28.

Both sides return to the court on Wednesday with Chicago visiting the Indiana Pacers and Dallas hosting the Golden State Warriors.