Luka Doncic returns in Mavs win over OKC; Josh Giddey youngest to record triple-double
Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks works through pregame warm-ups before the Dallas Mavericks take on the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center on December 15, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. Tom Pennington/Getty Images/AFP
Marquese Chriss scored a season-high 15 off the bench to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 95-86 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road Sunday night.
The Mavericks got three key players back after stints in the league’s COVID-19 protocol, including star Luka Doncic.
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Doncic, playing for the first time since Dec. 10 after missing 10 games due to left ankle soreness and then the NBA’s health and safety protocols, had 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting with 10 assists and nine rebounds, falling just shy of what would’ve been his third triple-double of the season.
Tim Hardaway Jr., who had missed six games, had 15 points also while Maxi Kleber also returned after missing six games.
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While the Mavericks got some of their firepower back, the Thunder were without their two top scorers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in health and safety protocol while Luguentz Dort was out with left knee soreness.
Without Gilgeous-Alexander and Dort, the Thunder turned to rookie Josh Giddey for offensive production. He led Oklahoma City with 17 points, a season-high 14 assists and 13 rebounds to become the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double.
Giddey, 19, had flirted with triple-doubles several times this season, reaching double figures in two categories six times, but had yet to reach the mark in three until Sunday. Giddey also tied a season-high with four steals.
⛈️ 17 PTS, 13 REB, 14 AST, 4 STL ⛈️@joshgiddey becomes the the youngest player in NBA history to put up a triple-double! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/cYZewoJ6ZA
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The Mavericks led by as many as 15 before the Thunder trimmed the lead to three with less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter on Giddey’s 3-pointer.
But Dallas responded with seven quick points over just more than a minute to stretch the lead back to double digits.
The Thunder didn’t seriously threaten the lead again until cutting it to four in the final minute before Kleber answered with a 3-pointer to put the game away.
While he showed some rust, Doncic still made an impact early, draining the first shot he took — a stepback 3-pointer from the left wing.
But the Mavericks were uneven early, until they surged to the lead with a 14-2 run late in the first quarter. Hardaway Jr. scored six points during the stretch, and all of Dallas’ buckets in the run were assisted while the Thunder were just 1 of 8 with two turnovers.
