Ever since his debut at 19 years old, Luka Dončić has found new ways to amaze NBA fans on a near nightly basis. But Dončić—or any NBA player in history, for that matter—had never pulled off what he was able to to during Tuesday night’s 126–121 overtime win over the Knicks.
Dončić turned in a performance for the ages, notching 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists as Dallas erased a nine-point deficit in the final 33.2 seconds of regulation before eventually winning in OT. It was the first 60-point, 20-rebound triple-double in NBA history, and set a new franchise record for most points in a single game. It’s only the second 60-point triple-double ever, following one from James Harden in January 2018.
Dončić was already having a banner night when he went to the free throw line with four seconds remaining in regulation. Trailing by two with only one free throw left, he intentionally missed the shot, then corralled the rebound after a deflection and made an acrobatic putback to tie the game at 115 apiece.
That completed a furious comeback after the Mavericks had trailed by nine with 33.2 seconds left. It’s the first win by an NBA team in the last 20 seasons in such a scenario, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Dončić shot an 21-for-31 from the field, with only two made three-pointers and three turnovers. He went 16-for-22 from the free throw line, and is now the youngest player in league history (23 years and 302 days) to record a 50-point triple-double.
The win gave the Mavericks their fourth straight victory, with Dončić leading the team in points, rebounds and assists in all four games.
