There are several reasons why the Dallas Mavericks are down 0-3 in the 2024 NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics. But, the biggest one could be the inability of their star player, Luka Doncic, to rise to the occasion.
Luka Doncic is as talented an offensive player as there is in the NBA. What he can do with the basketball in his hands is truly incredible. But, he is poor defensively for all the excellence he provides offensively.
The Celtics have repeatedly targeted and attacked him through the first three games. He has provided little resistance, as they are blowing by him at an alarming rate. Not only has Luka Doncic been non-existent defensively, he is compounding his errors with bad fouls and arguing too much with the referees.
This has been a point of emphasis for the Dallas Mavericks. They have tried to get their star player to stop worrying so much about the referees and just play his game, but he has come unraveled in the NBA Finals in that regard.
On Wednesday, with 4:12 remaining in the game, Luka Doncic made a half-hearted attempt to draw a charge on Jalen Brown, who was looking to get past him to the rim. He was whistled for a blocking foul, his sixth of the game.
Yelling at the bench to challenge the call, Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd did. The challenge was unsuccessful, as Luka Doncic was disqualified with his sixth foul of the game. Dallas was in the midst of an incredible comeback attempt, cutting a 21-point lead down to three when he fouled out.
The rally would fall short, as the Dallas Mavericks lost the game 106-99. On the precipice of being swept in the NBA Finals, it was the referees who drew Luka Doncic’s ire during his post game press conference.
“We couldn’t play physical,” Doncic said when asked about the officiating. “I don’t know. I don’t want to say nothing.
“You know, six fouls in the NBA Finals, basically I’m like this,” Doncic added, motioning with his palms up. “Come on, man. Be better than that.”
While Luka Doncic is placing blame on the referees, he has no one to blame but himself for being in that position. In the third quarter, he committed a foul out of frustration that seemed harmless at the time but ultimately came back to haunt him and his team.
Too much energy is being wasted jawing with referees after they blow the whistle. That cannot be the focus of Luka Doncic, as he is too important to the Dallas Mavericks finding success on the court to not be 100 percent focused.
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