As Luka Doncic unfolded, the Dallas Mavericks superstar began to show his All-NBA form.
Doncic had by far the most dominant performance of the season in a road victory 113-100 on Monday night over the Houston Rockets. He had season highs with 33 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists, recording his first triple-double of the season, one that had a certain historical significance.
Doncic now has three of the five 30-15-10 performances in NBA history of players under the age of 22, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. The others were recorded by several Hall of Famers, Oscar Robertson in 1960 and Magic Johnson in 1981.
There have been only seven 30-15-10 shows since Doncic joined the league in 2018-19, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee and Nikola Jokic of Denver have two in this range. Doncic’s three such performances are the second of all players in the last 30 years, behind only Russell Westbrook’s five.
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of Doncic’s spectacular performance. “He’s a great player.”
But Doncic, the favorite MVP of Las Vegas odds producers, did not rise to his high standards in the first week and a half of the season, because his conditioning was, of course, a concern.
Carlisle cited the uncertainty of this season’s NBA program as a factor in Doncic’s slow start, saying he is one of many players whose off-season routine was interrupted because he initially thought the season would begin in January or February.
“His training program was eliminated and he just got behind the curve,” Carlisle said. “It’s pretty clear now that it’s heading where it needs to be. As I mentioned last night, all of its physical and conditioning indicators are going in a good, strong direction, which is great. And you can figure it out. on the floor. You can see he’s getting better and better as each day goes on. “
Doncic, who missed Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bulls due to a left quadriceps contusion, has been constantly working hard to regain the form that made him the All-NBA first team selection last season. This included a 40-minute shooting session after the game on the American Airlines Center field, following an explosive loss of the Charlotte Hornets in the opening home of the Mavs, in which Doncic was limited to 12 points and said that “his feet were I feel really tired. “
“I’m ready to play,” said Doncic, who beat MVP perennial candidate James Harden on Monday night (21 points, 5 of 17 shots, 10 assists). “I will continue to condition, to get better, to get in better shape. We have a lot of games, so I will be in shape.”