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While helping lead the Dallas Mavericks to a home victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, Luka Doncic joined the NBA record books yet again, this time doing something that hasn’t been done in 60 years. After matching Michael Jordan’s 1986-87 season start with six straight games of 30 or more points, Doncic poured in 33 against Utah to make it seven straight games.
The last player to start the season this was was Wilt Chamberlain, in the 1962-63 season. Chamberlain actually did it twice, once in 1959-60 and again in 1962-63. Jack Twyman also matched the feat in 1959-60 as well.
Doncic’s scoring an incandescent 36.1 points per game on strong efficiency while leading a Mavericks team that’s still a work in progress on both ends of the floor. That scoring mark leads the league and is a full 2.5 points ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 33.6 points per game.
Teammate Spencer Dinwiddie was asked about the feat following the game. He said, “Luka is a savant, you know what I mean? In every sense of the word, as it applies to basketball. Nothing shocks me. Obviously, he’s young [and] the best is yet to come. I think he’s going to set a lot of different records for the Mavs and be in the conversation with the greats and be one of the best in the league for as long as he chooses to play this game.”
“A 23-year-old kid that is playing on this level is really, really special to see,” Jason Kidd said post game. “He can do it in so many ways, when you talk about posting up or getting to the basket, shooting the 3 or shooting that little step back. It’s really cool to watch, and it just shows the focus that he has right now. He’s carrying the team and putting the team in position to win.”
With a tough Toronto team on the horizon Friday, it seems a tall task of Doncic to score 30 or more points again. And yet that is exactly what the Mavericks will hope for from Doncic. Perhaps Friday will be when he finds his three point shot, as after the Wednesday win he’s still shooting under 25% from three on the year (14-59). So while his march through the record book is impressive, there’s actually a clear path for him to perform even better.
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