The firing squad has targeted Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic throughout the 2024 NBA Finals. He has been criticized for his level of effort on the defensive end of the court and for not putting the team first.
Down 3-0 and facing elimination heading into Game 4, Luka Doncic heard all of the criticisms. He flipped the script, leading the team to a dominant victory to keep their season alive for at least one more game.
The Dallas Mavericks won on Friday night, defeating the Boston Celtics 122-84. It was the best possible response for the star guard, who was at the middle of the dominance, leading the charge on both ends of the court.
“I think he made a few people eat their words in a healthy way,” Mavericks co-star Kyrie Irving said.
Luka Doncic scored a game-high 29 points, shooting 12-of-26 from the field. He made a living in the paint, scoring 22 of his points there, while also grabbing five rebounds with five assists and three steals. Most importantly, he had only one turnover.
It was an early night for Doncic, who played only 33 minutes as starters and regulars were out of the game in the third quarter. A lopsided affair, this was the third-largest loss in NBA Finals history.
Needing to respond strongly, the Dallas Mavericks showed up, jumping on the Celtics early and never relenting. In Game 3 they built an 11-point lead in the first quarter but allowed them back into the game soon after. That was not the case on Friday, as Dallas took an early lead and just kept building upon it.
“We were locked in, especially on the defense end,” said Doncic, who had the game’s best plus-minus at plus-30. “We played with pace. It helped them. I’m here to help them in every way I can. We just got to play like that.”
Channeling his energy into playing defense instead of arguing with referees worked for Luka Doncic. It was the kind of performance the team had been looking for in the NBA Finals, and he delivered when they needed it most.
Game 5 is now set for Monday night back in Boston. The Dallas Mavericks will be looking to force a sixth game back in their home arena, while the Celtics will be looking to raise banner No. 18 into the rafters.
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