Mavs rout Bulls behind Luka Doncic's 7th straight triple-double

Field Level Media|published: Mon 11th March, 22:29 2024

Mar 11, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls forward Torrey Craig (13) during the first half at United Center. credits: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Luka Doncic had 27 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds in his seventh straight triple-double and Dereck Lively II scored 22 points to lift the Dallas Mavericks to a 127-92 rout of the host Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Daniel Gafford (20 points), Kyrie Irving (14) and Jaden Hardy (11) also finished in double figures as the Mavericks won their third straight on the heels of a season-high-tying three-game losing streak.

Doncic dazzled with his floor game once again despite falling short of extending simultaneous triple-double milestones. He entered the game with six straight 30-point triple-doubles and five with at least 35 points — both NBA records.

The Mavericks were plenty efficient elsewhere. Lively II and Gafford combined on 20-for-21 shooting to help Dallas shoot 54.8 percent from the floor compared to 39.3 for Chicago.

Gafford, a former Bull, connected on each of his nine field-goal attempts and has made 28 in a row overall, seven shy of Wilt Chamberlain's league record.

Rookie Onuralp Bitim sparked the Bulls with a career-best 17 points. DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic followed with 13 points each, Coby White scored 12 and Andre Drummond grabbed 10 rebounds.

Lively II and Gafford both snagged seven boards. Ayo Dosunmu had eight rebounds for the Bulls.

Dallas rolled to a 44-16 lead after one quarter, coasting to its second-highest point differential of any quarter this season.

Doncic starred throughout, contributing 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the first quarter. He didn't score a point in the second quarter but built toward extending his triple-double streak, coming within one assist and two boards of accomplishing the feat by the break.

Lively II finished with 16 first-half points, helping the Mavericks to a 62-42 advantage at intermission.

Vucevic had 11 first-half points and was the only Bull in double figures. Chicago struggled to 34.8-percent shooting before halftime, including a 3-for-19 effort from beyond the arc.

The Mavericks stopped a stretch of four straight seasons in which the Bulls won or split the season series. Dallas beat visiting Chicago 114-105 on Nov. 1.

—Field Level Media