Luka Dončić delivered another historic performance, scoring 60 points as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat. The incredible outing comes after Dončić previously scored a franchise-record 73 points against the Atlanta Hawks in 2024, and matched a 60-point performance against the New York Knicks in 2022. This surpasses James Harden’s previous record against Miami of 58 points, set while a member of the Houston Rockets on February 28, 2019.
Dončić, the NBA’s leading scorer, has now registered at least 30 points in eight consecutive games, and reached the 50-point mark for the second time in his last five appearances. Over the past two nights, the superstar has amassed an impressive 100 total points, following a 40-point performance in his previous game.
Dončić was dominant, scoring 39 of his 60 points after halftime. He finished the game shooting 18-of-30 from the field, 9-of-17 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 15-of-19 from the free-throw line.
The Lakers (45-25) also received a triple-double from LeBron James, who contributed 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists. This marked James’ second triple-double of the season, and a strong performance for the veteran who enjoyed significant success during his time in Miami, leading the Heat to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances (2011-2014) and two NBA championships.
James was remarkably efficient, making all of his shots until early in the fourth quarter – a stretch that saw him convert 21 of 22 field goal attempts over more than seven quarters of play. He had made his final shot in Monday’s win at Houston, followed by 13-of-14 shooting in Wednesday’s victory over the Rockets, before starting 7-for-7 against the Heat.
Bam Adebayo led Miami (38-32) with 28 points and 10 rebounds, appearing fully healthy after missing the Heat’s previous game due to right calf soreness. However, the Heat have a 1-3 record since Adebayo’s 83-point performance against Washington on March 10, the second-highest scoring game in NBA history. Tyler Herro added 21 points for Miami, and Norman Powell chipped in with 20.
The Heat played without two key players due to injury: Jaime Jaquez Jr. (left hip strain) and Andrew Wiggins (left thumb). The pair combine to average 30.9 points per game. (tor)
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