Midway through the fourth quarter Monday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Luka Doncic waited quietly at the scorer’s table to check in for the Mavericks’ final push, still dressed in his navy blue warm-up shirt.
All of the sudden, he thrust his fists into the air.
Starting backcourt mate Spencer Dinwiddie had just banked in a deep 3-pointer as the shot clock expired.
Positive mojo restored, at least for one night.
The Mavericks beat the Thunder 121-114 in American Airlines Center to ease the sting of their puzzling, exhausting back-to-back losses over the weekend and avenge one of their worst defeats earlier in the season.
Almost in historic fashion, too.
Doncic, after a one game absence to rest his right quad contusion on the second night of a back to back, tallied 38 points (13 of 27 shooting), 11 rebounds and eight assists in 37 minutes. Dinwiddie, 20 points, including 4 of 8 from three, seven rebounds and 10 assists in 35 minutes.
For the second time in six outings, Doncic and Dinwiddie bid to become the first pair of Mavericks to record a triple-double in the same game.
After combining to be a collective three rebounds and four assists shy of the milestone Dec. 3 against the New York Knicks, they fell two Doncic dimes and three Dinwiddie boards shy while powering past a rebuilding Thunder squad Tuesday.
The pursuit of historic statistical marks didn’t stop there.
With about three minutes remaining in the first half, Doncic surpassed 20 points in the game and tied Mark Aguirre’s 1983-84 Mavericks record with 34 consecutive games with at least 20 points.
He also became the first player to start a season with at least 25 consecutive games scoring at least 25 points since James Harden (35 games) in 2017-18.
The Mavericks still needed more scoring from their superstar than that.
After opening the game with 12 unanswered points in the first 3:25, Dallas spotted the Thunder an even bigger response.
Oklahoma City closed the first quarter on a 28-9 run over eight minutes to take a 28-23 lead entering the second with many fans bemoaning the Mavericks’ shooting woes (6 of 26 from the floor and 3 of 15 from three) and lack of burst against a rebuilding Thunder squad and one game after their season-worst blowout loss in Chicago.
Message received.
Dallas outscored the Thunder 43-24 in the second quarter to control pace, poise and the lead.
All the vitriol about Reggie Bullock’s season-long shooting slump and Tim Hardaway Jr.’s recent streaky production?
Quiet, for now, as the Mavericks shot 14 of 24 from the floor and 10 of 16 from three in the period, half of which unfolded with Doncic resting on the bench.
Hardaway shot 4 of 5 from three for 12 points in the period, while Bullock hit all three of his 3-point attempts, and Doncic poured in 11 points, four rebounds and three assists in 6:48.
Dallas led 66-52 entering halftime and maintained control down the stretch, even against Oklahoma City’s fierce traps in the final minute – no sure bet for the Mavericks after blowing a 16-point lead in the last five minutes of the Oct. 29 overtime loss the first time they faced Oklahoma City this season.
The only time the composure appeared to waver: two minutes into the third quarter, when Doncic hollered at Dwight Powell for a lapse on defense, and officials whistled him for a technical foul.
The call marked Doncic’s first tech since Nov. 15 and likely the first of his career for yelling at a teammate, not officials.
But he smiled the rest of the way while squaring off against the Thunder’s rising All-Star and MVP candidate, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (42 points).
Josh Green injury update
Third-year wing Josh Green missed a second consecutive game with the right elbow sprain he suffered Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks while deflecting the ball against Bucks guard Grayson Allen in transition.
“He reached in on Allen,” Jason Kidd said. “He was running back on the break. He deflected the ball and got his hand caught, and that’s what happened.”
Frank Ntilikina absorbed Green’s minutes in an otherwise healthy rotation.
In his first extended action as part of a victory this season, Ntilikina contributed six points, two assists and one rebound in 18 minutes.
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