Luka Doncic turned 25 in style, becoming the first NBA player in history to drop a 30-point triple-double on their birthday. Doncic added 16 assists and 11 rebounds in his monumental effort (and 11th triple-double of the season) as the Mavs beat the Raptors on the road. However, the milestone was largely dismissed by Doncic and his colleagues. "Just a normal game, triple-double. He was really good. I guess 25 means he's still going to be really good as he gets older here," Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. "I feel 40, so no," Doncic said when asked if he felt like 25 was a milestone.
The effort comes after a heartbreaking loss for the Mavs. Max Strus stunned the NBA on Tuesday night as he hit a half-court buzzer-beater to lead the Cavaliers past the Mavericks. With 2.1 seconds remaining, Strus heaved a shot from 59 feet. However, he barely saw his shot go in as he was tackled by his teammates. Strus' shot is the second-longest shot of the three-point era, sitting behind Devonte' Graham's 2021 61-footer. However, Strus himself has admitted that this isn't even the longest shot of his career. "Yeah, at my Division II school, I made a three-quarter-court shot to win the game," Strus said.
Luka Doncic Gets Fan Ejected, Feuds With ESPN Reporter For Coverage Of It
Earlier this season, Luka Doncic getting a fan ejected from a Mavs loss to the Suns became a much bigger story at the post-game presser. Doncic found himself in a back-and-forth with ESPN's Tim McMahon, who had covered the ejection as soon as it happened. "You'll be the first one to always put something bad about me," Doncic shot at the veteran journalist. Furthermore, Doncic called McMahon's report "not true at all". McMahon, who began his career as a Mavs beat reporter, attempted to defend his past coverage of Doncic.
Per McMahon, Doncic had asked security to removed a Suns fan after the fan yelled "Luka, you're tired. Get your a-- on the treadmill!" However, Doncic alleged that the comment was far from the worst thing the fan had said. He refused to repeat the fan's other comments. However, Doncic noted that the fan had been insistently heckling him the entire game. Instead, the treadmill was the one that pushed him over the edge.
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