MEXICO CITY, Dec 13 — Luka Doncic recorded the first triple-double at an NBA neutral site in 46 years in the Dallas Mavericks’ 122-111 victory over the Detroit Pistons last night in Mexico City.
Doncic, the second-year Mavericks standout, dazzled NBA fans south of the border with 41 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, matching the triple-double feat of the Boston Celtics’ John Havlicek on Dec. 12, 1973 in Providence, RI, against the Buffalo Braves.
Havlicek had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists that night.
Doncic’s triple-double was the 16th of his career, with his 41 points coming up one shy of his personal record in a triple-double, which he set last month against San Antonio.
Doncic had eight of his points, including a 3-pointer and a three-point play, during a 4:44 stretch bridging the second and third quarters in which the Mavericks scored 20 consecutive points, turning a 58-51 deficit into a 71-58 lead.
In winning for the sixth straight time, Dallas led by as many as 24 points in the third quarter before coasting home. The closest Detroit got in the fourth period was nine points.
Doncic hit 14 of his 24 shots and six of his 13 3-point attempts in recording his fourth 40-point game of the season.
Seth Curry matched his teammate with six 3-pointers en route to 30 points, one off his career-best.
Kristaps Porzingis added 20 points, while Dwight Powell grabbed 10 rebounds to complement nine points.
The Mavericks, who ran their all-time record in Mexico City in regular-season games to 2-1, outshot the Pistons 51.1 per cent to 44.9.
Andre Drummond registered a 23-point, 15-rebound double-double for Detroit, which was the designated home team in the contest.
Derrick Rose, who bombed in five 3-pointers, went for 19 points, Markieff Morris 16, Tony Snell 12, and Blake Griffin and Christian Wood 10 apiece for the balanced Pistons, who had won four of their previous five, including two straight.
The Pistons, who played a game in London in 2013, were making their Mexico City regular-season debut. — Reuters
