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Luka Doncic replicates Larry Bird feat from 1982
Luka Doncic is just getting his feet wet as a Laker, but already doing enough to replicate the greats of NBA lore.
On Tuesday, Doncic shot a paltry 6-of-17 against his former team, the Mavericks, but found other ways to contribute to his team's 107-99 win. The Slovenian added 15 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and two blocks, notching up his first triple-double in Los Angeles. The performance came a few nights after he posted 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals in a 123-100 win over the Nuggets.
By stuffing the stat sheet in back-to-back games, Doncic has replicated a feat last achieved by Celtics legend Larry Bird in 1982.
The @Lakers' Luka Dončić over his last 2 games:
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) February 26, 2025
51 points
25 rebounds
19 assists
7 steals
3 blocks
The last NBA player to reach all of those numbers over a 2-game span was Larry Bird from January 11-13, 1982. pic.twitter.com/uGeCgwgSes
Doncic's "revenge" game also saw him create a bit of NBA history. The star guard became the first player with 12+ points, 12+ rebounds and 12+ assists in his maiden outing against a former team.
The @Lakers' Luka Dončić against the Mavs tonight:
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) February 26, 2025
19 points
15 rebounds
12 assists
No other player in NBA history has had at least a dozen of each in his first game against a former team. pic.twitter.com/fM16UXcd0I
Luka Doncic is the first Laker since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to record
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 26, 2025
15+ PTS
15+ REB
10+ AST
2+ STL
2+ BLK
in a game. pic.twitter.com/rOoTVbADWp
It's a testament to Doncic that he's making history despite struggling with his shot. On Tuesday, he dazzled the Crypto.com Arena fans with dazzling passes, including a no-look dish to Austin Reaves that led to a three. In the fourth quarter alone, he made three passes to LeBron James, leading to three easy baskets. He also collected key offensive boards to give his teammates multiple scoring opportunities.
To the surprise of many, Doncic also held his own on the defensive end. Kyrie Irving shot 4-of-11 when matched up with Doncic, and Max Christie went 1-of-6 when checked by the new Lakers star. Doncic's defense played a key role in Dallas shooting a paltry 35.7 percent overall and 38.6 percent from three over 48 minutes of action.
By his high standards, Doncic is off to a sluggish start as a Laker. In five games thus far, he's averaging 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists at 38/25/75 shooting splits. Yet, he's leaving his imprint with his IQ and intangibles, proving why he's a generational talent.
More must-reads:
- Luka Doncic has massive first half in revenge game against Mavericks
- Luka Doncic reacts to win over former team
- The '60-point scorers in the NBA' quiz
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Damian Lillard’s agent takes a shot at the Bucks
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Jerry Jones takes another jab at Micah Parsons over contract stalemate
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Angel Stadium experiences embarrassing issue after game
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