Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (77) drives to the basket between Golden State Warriors’ Chris Paul, center rear, and Andrew Wiggins, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
DALLAS — Luka Doncic’s triple-double streak is over as the focus turns to his tender left hamstring.
Daniel Gafford is staring down Wilt Chamberlain for the best run of consecutive made baskets in NBA history.
Doncic scored 21 points as his triple-double run ended at seven games, Gafford made five baskets to push his streak to 33 in a row and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Golden State Warriors 109-99 in the NBA on Wednesday night.
READ: Luka Doncic first NBA player with 6 straight 30-point triple-doubles
The triple-double streak for Doncic was all but over when the NBA scoring leader returned to the game in the fourth quarter. He was gone 22 seconds later, soon ruled out with left hamstring soreness.
Coach Jason Kidd said he wasn’t sure if Doncic would make the trip to Oklahoma City, where the Mavericks finish a back-to-back on Thursday night.
On to the next 🫡@KyrieIrving // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/t8PA3n2XWe
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 14, 2024
“We’ll have a better answer (Thursday),” Kidd said. “This is a fluid thing. This thing is being talked about now.”
The Warriors were without Stephen Curry for a third consecutive game, and it showed with sub-40% shooting almost the entire game in a fifth loss in six games this season without their star guard.
Golden State is 1-2 since Curry has been sidelined by a sprained right ankle. Steve Kerr said before the game Curry should join the team in Los Angeles, and the coach is hopeful Curry will play Saturday against the Lakers.
The Warriors also were without Draymond Green, who was scratched before the game with back soreness. Jonathan Kuminga led Golden State with 27 points.
READ: NBA: Luka Doncic has another 30-point triple-double in Mavericks’ win over Heat
“What Draymond does, he puts his impact on the game one way or the other,” Kerr said. “Doesn’t matter. People get hurt, and you’ve got to respond.”
All of Gafford’s buckets came on dunks, and he is two short of Chamberlain’s NBA record, set in 1967. The 6-foot-10 center acquired before the trade deadline had a season-high seven blocks.
“I try to tell myself not to worry about it,” Gafford said. “If I do it, that’s good. I’m going to celebrate it, of course. I just want to come out and win games. I’ll worry about the record after for sure.”
Doncic had nine assists and three rebounds. His triple-double run included NBA records of five consecutive with at least 35 points and six in a row with at least 30 points.
While the Warriors didn’t shoot well from anywhere, the Mavericks withstood one of their worst nights of the season from 3-point range, starting 1 of 17 before finishing 6 of 27 (22%).
Doncic threw his arms in the air after his only connection from deep in the third quarter. He was 1 of 6 from beyond the arc, while Kyrie Irving was 1 of 5 while finishing with 23 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
The Mavericks took control with an 11-0 run for an 87-72 lead while Doncic was sitting early in the fourth quarter. His return didn’t last long, but the Mavericks continued to pull away without the five-time All-Star.
Andrew Wiggins scored 17 points for Golden State, which lost for just the second time in 11 road games in a matchup of teams that started the night in position for the play-in tournament.
“I like the team a lot better now than I did a couple of months ago where we were really sorting through things,” Kerr said. “We have an identity. I think we’ll bounce back here, and I’m excited about the last part of the season.”
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NEXT NBA SCHEDULE
Warriors: At the Lakers on Saturday.
Mavericks: At Oklahoma City on Thursday.
