Just how improbable was the Mavericks’ comeback win over the Knicks on Tuesday night?
Well, Dallas picked up a stunning victory while facing an obstacle that no team had overcome in the last two decades.
The Mavericks trailed by nine points with 34 seconds left in the fourth quarter on Tuesday, and thanks to a wild rebound by Luka Doncic off his own miss at the free throw line, and an immediate bucket in the closing seconds of regulation following the board, Dallas forced overtime and eventually sent New York to its fourth straight loss.
So, how infrequent was such a comeback?
According to ESPN Stats & Info, over the last 20 seasons, NBA teams hadn’t won a single game in 13,884 tries when trailing by at least nine points with 35 or fewer seconds remaining in the game.
But the Mavericks have Doncic, who went off for 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists in a historic triple-double.
How historic you may ask?
It was the first 60-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist game in NBA history, and just the second 60-point triple double ever (James Harden).
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However, he also broke some franchise records along the way as well, finishing with the highest scoring game in Mavs history.
Yes, even higher than the legendary Dirk Nowitzki, whose best-career scoring performance was 53 points against the Houston Rockets in 2004.
He has also passed Nowitzki for the most 50-point games in Mavs history with three. two of which have come in the last five days ( Dec. 23 vs. Houston).
"I'm tired as hell," Doncic said after the record-breaking night. "I need a recovery beer."
And he's certainly earned it.