Luka Named NBA Western Conference Player of the Month
DALLAS – The NBA announced today that Mavericks guard Luka Dončić was named the Kia NBA Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in February, marking the second time in his career he has received the honor (November 2019). He joins Dirk Nowitzki (6) as the only players in franchise history to win multiple Player of the Month awards.
Dončić (6-7, 230) led the Mavericks to a 7-3 month with averages of 34.7 points (.457 FG, .412 3FG), 10.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 37.1 minutes. He scored 30-plus points in seven of those 10 games, including a career-high 51 points in the Mavericks’ 112-105 win over the L.A. Clippers on Feb. 10.
The three-time All-Star posted consecutive triple-doubles in Dallas’ victories over Philadelphia on Feb. 4 (33 points, 13 rebounds, 15 assists) and Atlanta on Feb. 6 (18 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists), giving him 45 triple-doubles for his career. With his 33-point, 13-rebound, 15-assist outing against the Sixers, Dončić passed Fat Lever (43) for 10th place on the NBA’s all-time triple-doubles list and joined Oscar Robertson (22) as the only players in league history with eight-or-more career 30-10-15 efforts.
The Slovenian tallied 45-plus points three times in Dallas’ final four games leading up to the All-Star break (51 vs. LAC 2/10, 45 vs. LAC 2/12, 49 at NOP 2/17), joining Stephen Curry (3) as the only players with three 45-point efforts in all of 2021-22. His career-best 51-point effort against the Clippers (2/10) tied the franchise record for the most points in a regulation-length game (Nowitzki, 51, vs. GSW 3/23/06). Dončić added 15 rebounds and 8 assists in the games against the Clippers (2/12) and Pelicans (2/17), becoming just the fourth player in NBA history to record multiple 45-point, 15-rebound, five-assist games in a calendar month (Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy).
Dončić, who turned just 23 years old on Feb. 28, totaled 199 points in the five games from Feb. 8 to Feb. 17, breaking his own franchise record for the most points over a five-game stretch (previous: 186, 2/6-2/14/21).
After appearing in his third straight All-Star Game on Feb. 20, Dončić helped Dallas finish the month strong by overcoming a 21-point second-half deficit, including a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit, in its 107-101 win at Golden State (2/27). It was the largest fourth-quarter comeback in the NBA this season. It also marked the first time since Nov. 14, 2007 vs. Detroit that the Warriors lost a game after leading by 20-plus points (before the loss, Golden State had won 62 straight games when leading by 20+ points).
Dončić is averaging team highs of 27.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 35.5 minutes in 47 games (all starts) this season. He ranks in the top 20 in the league in scoring (7th), rebounding (18th) and assists (5th). Despite missing 15 games this season, he stills ranks second in the league in 20-point, five-rebound, five-assist outings (35).
Dallas currently sits at a season-high 12 games above. 500 (37-25) and in fifth place in the Western Conference. The Mavericks have gone 21-7 (.750) since Dec. 31.
