“Thought he was gonna go 50-20-20”: Tim Hardaway Jr. was expecting 2K numbers from Luka Doncic 

Luka Doncic has been on a tear for the Dallas Mavericks this season. The Slovenian continued his stellar form this season with a dominant first-half triple-double in Dalls' blowout 147-97 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. Doncic had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in 20 minutes and eventually ended his evening with 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in 32 minutes of game time. His performance left teammate Tim Hardaway Jr. spellbound, and the guard believed he saw a 2K number coming in.

Speaking to the media, Hardaway Jr. believed he was expecting more from the 24-year-old:

"I thought he was gonna go 50/20/20."

Doncic's triple-double against the Jazz is his 60th in what promises to be a blockbuster career. With this, he is one rung above Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird.

Playing their parts in the win were also Hardaway Jr. (17 points, four rebounds and two assists) and Kyrie Irving (26 points, three rebounds and four assists). The win sees them surpass the LA Lakers to take fourth place in the West standings.

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Luka Doncic's monstrous performance has nothing to do with his headband

Luka Doncic created quite the buzz when he showed up sporting a headband on Wednesday. However, by his admission, his scintillating performance had nothing to do with the headband:

"Everybody said it's the headband, I say it's me."

Doncic averages 31.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.6 assists this season. His last five games have seen him average 35.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and 10.0 assists. The guard has been third on the league's MVP tracker, and ahead of the new update, his recent outing makes a case for a jump to second place to vault reigning MVP Joel Embiid.

Before the game, the Mavericks had several big names on the injury report. Grant Williams, Kyrie Irving, and Tim Hardaway Jr. were all listed as questionable. Irving and Hardaway were eventually cleared to play.

The Mavericks have ensured that they are off to the kind of start that was expected of them. Last season, they were poised to make the playoffs after trading for Irving, but injuries to both superstars, coupled with a lack of teeth on the defensive end saw them fail to make the postseason. This year, the chemistry between Doncic and Irving appears to be much better, as are their efforts on defense.

Up next, Luka Doncic and the Mavericks play the Portland Trail Blazers, followed by the Memphis Grizzlies.