As it stands, no other team in NBA history has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit in the Finals. For Dallas Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic, it’s not over yet for their team as they face the Boston Celtics.
In Game 3, Luka Doncic’s defensive performance left much to be desired. While he consistently showcased his offensive prowess all season long, he fell short when it comes to defensive contributions against the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
It’s clear that defense is not Doncic’s strongest suit. Despite his 6’7″ stature, the guard doesn’t invest as much effort on the defensive end as he does on offense, where his skills are diverse and impressive. Even if that’s the case, the Slovenian All-Star still averaged 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists during the regular season.
Although this approach may be effective during the regular season, it becomes increasingly challenging to mask Doncic’s defensive weaknesses in the high-stakes intensity of the Finals. This was seen when the Mavs star attempted to draw a charge against All-Star wing Jaylen Brown in transition, only for the referees to call a blocking foul instead. As a consequence, he fouled out of the game.
Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic Drops Powerful Message Amid NBA Finals Struggles
After the game, Doncic faced reporters and shared his thoughts about how Dallas performed against the Celtics. In a post Grant Afseth shared on X, Slovenian star dropped a defiant take about the NBA Finals,
“Luka Doncic on facing a 3-0 series deficit: “Like I said, it’s not over till it’s over. We just got to believe. Like I always say, it’s first to four. We’re going to stay together. We lose together, we win together. So we got to stay together,” Afseth tweeted.
Throughout 20 playoff games, Doncic has averaged 28.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest. He has also shot 44 percent from the field and 34 percent from deep over various teams in the postseason, including the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Celtics.
It remains to be seen whether Doncic and company can bounce back in Game 4. If not, they’d be on the receiving end of so much criticism for getting swept in the NBA Finals.
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