Luka Doncic 60-point triple-double lifts Dallas Mavericks over Knicks

The Dallas Mavericks pulled off an improbable fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the New York Knicks 126-121 in overtime on Tuesday night behind an unbelievable performance from Luka Doncic. The 23-year-old superstar scored 16 in the opening quarter and had 35 after 36 minutes on his way to a 60-point triple-double. It was his seventh 40-plus point game of the season and second 50-point game in the last week.

The Mavs were down by nine points with 33 seconds remaining, but found a way to force overtime. Doncic was not going to let them lose on Dec. 27 in arguably the best performance in Mavericks history. There had never been a 60-point 20-rebound triple-double in NBA history until Luka did it on Tuesday night.

Dallas struggled to make shots and they gave up 17 offensive rebounds, but it did not matter. Doncic was just too good on Tuesday night as the Mavericks picked up their fourth straight win. Here is a closer look at his performance.

Luka Doncic 60-point triple-double lifts Dallas Mavericks over Knicks

Doncic was locked in from the opening tipoff, and he put on a show against the Knicks. New York had zero answers for number 77, and Luka produced plenty of highlights on Tuesday night, including this incredible dime.

He was getting wherever he wanted on the floor and making the Knicks pay at every turn on his way to 60 points, 21 rebounds, ten assists, two steals, and one block in 47 minutes of action. Doncic made 21 of his 31 field goals, and he went 16 of 22 from the free throw line as the Mavs outscored the Knicks by six with number 77 on the floor.

The play of the night was Doncic intentionally missing a free throw as the Mavericks grabbed the rebound and he got the ball back to him for the game-tying floater. Luka even busted out a dance after the make to force overtime.

Luka did it all on Tuesday night. Doncic set a new career-high with 60 points, and he had his first 50-point triple-double of his career and just the 15th in NBA history. He also broke Dirk's franchise-record of 53 points on Tuesday night. Doncic set a new career-high with 21 rebounds, and he had just the fourth 50-point 20-rebound triple-double in NBA history.

The Mavericks have lived and died by their 3-point shooting this season, and they did not shoot well on Dec. 27. Dallas made just 13 of 46 from long range or just 28.3 percent. The Knicks had a three 3-pointer edge on Tuesday night at the American Airlines Center, but Luka was not going to let Dallas lose.

Both teams were shorthanded on Dec. 27. The Mavericks played without Maxi Kleber, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Josh Green. Brunson and Obi Toppin were out for the Knicks with R.J. Barrett suffering a hand injury in the opening minutes and was unable to return.

It was supposed to be Jalen Brunson’s first game back in Dallas since joining the Knicks in free agency, but the 26-year-old suffered a hip injury on Christmas Day that forced him to miss the contest. The Mavericks still played a tribute video for Brunson, and he was in attendance watching from the bench.

Dallas swept the season series against the Knicks with Tuesday's win, and they have to thank Luka Doncic for his incredible heroics. The game will go down as one of the all-time great performances, and it was truly a joy to watch.

The Dallas Mavericks wrap up a three-game homestand on Thursday night as they host the Houston Rockets. Dallas will again be shorthanded, but they need to take care of business against the rival Rockets. Expect Luka Doncic to stay locked in, and fans won’t want to miss it, so please tune in and enjoy the game.