NBA roundup: Luka Dončić puts up historic numbers against Knicks, Sixers streak ends
Dallas, Texas - Luka Dončić put up arguably the most eye-popping stat line of the NBA season in the Dallas Mavericks' 126-121 home victory against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
Dončić ended up with 60 points on 21-of-31 shooting, 21 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals, and a block in a performance unique in the league's history. It was just as good, since the Mavericks needed every bit of it to come back from a late deficit.
Trailing 112-103 with less than 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Dallas staged a miraculous recovery, but still needed some Luka magic to send the game to overtime.
With four seconds on the clock, trailing by three, Dončić was sent to the line for two free throws. He made the first, before intentionally missing the second, tracking down his own rebound and putting it back in to tie the game.
He scored seven of the Mavericks' 11 points in the overtime period to complete the comeback, finishing the game on a 23-9 run.
The win is Dallas' fourth in a row, and improves their record to 19-16 to sit seventh in the Western Conference.
Despite the loss for the Knicks – their fourth in a row – there were encouraging signs for the future of their backcourt. With Jalen Brunson missing his first game of the season due to a hip injury, Immanuel Quickley was handed the start.
He had 11 of his 15 assists in the first half before struggling down the stretch as he was asked to play a game-high 51 minutes, while Quentin Grimes top-scored for New York with 33 points (12-of-25).
Around the league: LeBron's Lakers back on track, Sixers waste brilliant Embiid showing
The Los Angeles Lakers are back in the winner's lane after LeBron James led them to a 129-110 road win against the Orlando Magic.
Entering the contest on a four-game losing streak since the injury of Anthony Davis, James was terrific, scoring a team-high 28 points on 12-of-24 shooting with seven rebounds and five assists.
He was supported well by Davis' replacement in the starting lineup. Thomas Bryant chipped in 21 points (eight-of-10 shooting) and 10 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook tied Detlef Schrempf's all-time record for triple-doubles off the bench with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists.
The Magic had won eight of their previous nine, but it was a tough outing for number one draft pick Paolo Banchero, scoring a career-low four points with five fouls in 22 minutes.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers' winning streak has ended at eight games after a disappointing 116-111 loss to the Washington Wizards, despite Joel Embiid heroics.
The back-to-back MVP runner-up scored a game-high 48 points on 17-of-31 shooting, adding nine rebounds, three blocks, and three steals to finish with a plus/minus of plus eight in his 36 minutes.
Unfortunately for Embiid, the 76ers were outscored by 13 in the 12 minutes he was on the bench, with Kristaps Porzingis' 24 points (seven-of-15), 10 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals leading the way for the Wizards.
The win may be coming at a cost, however, as All-Star Bradley Beal left in the fourth quarter after suffering a hamstring injury.
Cover photo: Collage: USA TODAY Sports