Amidst the Mavericks teetering on the edge of elimination, luminary Luka Doncic conceded that his vexation with referees has posed a quandary during the NBA Finals, pledging to adopt a distinct demeanor come Game 4 on Friday.
“Revert to the joy of play,” Doncic asserted post the Mavericks’ cinematic session at the American Airlines Center on Thursday. “Recall our resurgence from a [21] point deficit in the fourth quarter of the Finals. We reveled. We defended. We dashed. Our tempo was superb. Merely seizing opportune shots.”
The Mavericks’ spirited comeback in Game 3 dwindled in Tuesday’s 106-99 defeat to the Boston Celtics following Doncic’s disqualification with 4:12 remaining, marking the premier instance in his career where he fouled out within regulation. He accrued four fouls in the fourth quarter, including a brace within a 26-second interval, and voiced discontentment with the officiating during his postgame press availability.
True to form, Doncic lamented to the referees throughout the Game 3 setback. On several occasions, as the Celtics whittled down the Mavericks’ initial 13-point lead to a solitary point by the close of the first quarter, Doncic’s dereliction to retreat on defense facilitated open shots for Boston.
Doncic, aged 25, has frequently conceded throughout his tenure that his proclivity to dispute with referees can prove troublesome. He reiterated this sentiment on Thursday, conceding that the officials will “ultimately prevail” and that he must “eschew such conduct.”
“I am fervently driven to triumph,” Doncic professed. “Occasionally, I fail to convey it suitably, yet at day’s end, victory remains my paramount aspiration. I must refine my expression of this ambition.”
Despite grappling with a sprained right knee and enduring a thoracic contusion in Game 1, Doncic has maintained an impressive average of 29.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists during the Finals. He disclosed to ESPN’s Malika Andrew his intent to undergo another analgesic injection to alleviate the discomfort of the contusion ahead of Game 4, akin to his approach in the previous two games.
Doncic has encountered defensive woes while being relentlessly pursued by the Celtics. Per Second Spectrum, the Celtics have blown past Doncic on 67.7% of their drives against him. This marks the highest blow-by percentage conceded by a solitary defender in a playoff series over the past decade, with a prerequisite of 10 drives defended per game.
“My counsel to him is that he is not solitary in this endeavor,” remarked Mavs guard Kyrie Irving, who grappled during the two defeats in Boston before amassing 35 points in Game 3. “He has strived to the utmost of his ability amidst adverse circumstances, including injuries. He has exerted himself fully. The onus does not solely rest upon him.”
In a bid to instill optimism regarding Dallas’ prospects of surmounting a 3-0 series deficit, Doncic alluded to the Mavericks’ resurgence subsequent to the All-Star break. Dallas endured a slump, losing five of six games, before embarking on a winning streak of 16 out of 18, culminating in clinching the Western Conference’s fifth seed.
“I acknowledge that was the regular season, yet it marked a juncture wherein we coalesced, and from there, camaraderie ascended to its pinnacle,” Doncic remarked. “We must maintain faith. It is a topic of discourse in the locker room. I harbor firm belief in our capacity to prevail, and we shall persist in this conviction until the denouement.”
