Heading into the Chicago Bulls matchup on Monday, Dallas Mavericks standout Luka Doncic is on an unparalleled hot streak, effortlessly evading his markers while maintaining his humility.

“I think it’s my best season, for sure,” Doncic said. “But I’ve still got a lot to improve.”

Despite breaking an NBA record with his sixth consecutive 30-point triple-double, Doncic remains grounded. His recent performance of 39 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists led the Mavericks to a 142-124 win against Detroit on Saturday, marking his fifth straight game with at least 35 points resulting in a triple-double.

“That just shows where he’s playing at right now, the level that he’s at,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “To be able to score and also being able to find his teammates, and then lastly being able to rebound the ball to help us on the defensive end.”

Dallas secured back-to-back victories for the first time since their streak of seven wins from Feb. 5-22. Besides Doncic, four other teammates scored in double digits, with Kyrie Irving leading the pack with 21 points.

The Mavericks are holding a strong position in the Western Conference standings, now just one game away from the sixth seed and avoiding the play-in tournament.

Doncic called his run “good, as long as we get the win. We got two wins now in a row, so we’ve got to keep going like that.”

On the other hand, the Bulls find themselves embroiled in a fierce battle for a play-in spot, falling short in their quest for a season-high winning streak by losing 112-102 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Los Angeles mounted a strong comeback in the second half, outscoring Chicago 66-45, following a promising first-half performance by the Bulls who sought to reach a .500 record since October 30 when they were 2-2.

“I thought we started the first half well. We moved the ball and made some shots,” Chicago coach Billy Donovan said. “The turnovers and our inability to make enough shots kind of impacted the third quarter.”

In past encounters, the Bulls have had the upper hand against Dallas in season matchups. To extend this trend, they must bounce back from a 114-105 defeat on the road on Nov. 1.

Even though Nikola Vucevic delivered a stellar performance for Chicago with 21 points and 20 rebounds in that game, the Mavericks’ Grant Williams emerged as the top scorer with 25 points. Doncic also made significant contributions with 18 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds.

Chicago has emerged victorious in six of their last eight meetings with Dallas.

Against the Clippers, four of the Bulls’ starters hit double figures. DeMar DeRozan led with 24 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds, while Vucevic added 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Although Alex Caruso fell just shy of reaching double-digit points, his invaluable contributions, particularly on defense, play a crucial role in uniting the team.

“The plays he makes are so important,” Vucevic said. “It’s a huge bonus for us to have that on the defensive end. He helps us so much and covers so much space, and his communication. We know we can rely on him night in and night out, and it’s huge to have that.”