Doncic added 21 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double with at least 60 points and 20 rebounds.

The Slovenian is only the second player to score 60 points in a triple-double, after James Harden.

He had 60 points with 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a game for Houston in 2018.

"He's special," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of his star point guard, who also had two interceptions and a blocked shot.

"For a player to do something that's never been done before -- that's hard to pull off," Kidd said because "there were great players before him" in the league.

Doncic, more than ever a candidate for the title of MVP, broke the rebound record of his young NBA career and signed his seventh triple-double of the season.

The Knicks, thanks in part to 33 points from Quentin Grimes, led by nine points with 33.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but Dallas came back.

Doncic set the record straight with one second remaining, recovering the rebound from a free throw he had intentionally missed and rising through a crowd of players to perform a jump shot.

Wizards Resist Embiid

"I think I got a bit lucky," said the 23-year-old.

"I just threw it in the air."

Doncic then scored seven of the Mavericks' 11 points in overtime to seal the victory, and left the field to a massive ovation from the Dallas crowd.

"I'm completely exhausted," he said at the end of the game.

"I need a beer to recover," joked the Ljubljana native.

The Washington Wizards held off a 48-point performance from Philadelphia star Joel Embiid to end the Sixers' eight-game winning streak with home success (116-111).

Latvian Kristaps Porzingis scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Wizards, who led by 11 points at the start of the fourth quarter, before their lead was reduced to a single unit on an Embiid dunk following an alley -oop at 2:59 of the end of the match.

Kristaps Porzingis, Washington's Latvian pivot, dunks during the Wizards' victory over the Philadelphia Sixers (116-111), in Washington, December 27, 2022 © Greg Fiume / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

Porzingis then responded with a three-point shot, which put his team in the right tempo.

"It would have been great to steal the game tonight, but they deserved it so much more than us," Sixers coach Doc Rivers said.

"They played so much harder."

Bradley Beal added 19 points for Washington before leaving the game late in the fourth quarter, apparently injured in a collision with Embiid.

Leaders in the East, the Boston Celtics, after a difficult start to the game, beat the Houston Rockets (126-102), thus bringing their record, the best in the NBA, to 25-10 with a third consecutive victory.

The Lakers breathe

The Celtics have as usual been able to rely on Jaylen Brown, author of 39 points and Jayson Tatum, who scored 38, but also the 11 points and 15 rebounds of a precious Robert Williams at home.

The Lakers, who had lost four straight since the injury to the foot of their star Anthony Davis, obtained a salutary victory in Orlando (129-110).

LeBron James scored 28 points, Thomas Bryant added 21 points and Russell Westbrook had a triple-double with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.

"You can't replace Anthony Davis, we know that," Westbrook stressed in a post-game on-court interview.

“As a team, collectively, we have to make sure we come together, play the right way and try to get some wins – try to hold on until he comes back,” explained the 34-year-old leader, whose team, 13th out of 15 in the West, will have to work hard to hope to play in the play-offs.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook during an NBA game against the Orlando Magic in Orlando on December 27, 2022 © Douglas P. DeFelice / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

The Phoenix Suns surprised Memphis by dominating the Grizzlies (125-108).

22-year-old backup guard Duane Washington Jr had a career-best 26 points, and eight total Suns players scored at least 10 points.

Finally, the Denver Nuggets, led by 30 points from Michael Porter, overcame a 20-point deficit in the second quarter to beat the Kings (113-106) in Sacramento.

Jamal Murray added 25 points for Denver and Serbian teammate Nikola Jokic, a two-time reigning MVP, scored 20 points with nine rebounds and 11 assists.

© 2022 AFP