After a disappointing two-game home stint, Dallas Mavericks’ superstar Luka Doncic rebounded with a big Game 5 showing in Oklahoma – a 31-point triple-double – as Jason Kidd’s side regained a slender series lead and can now clinch a WCF berth this weekend among home comforts vs. the West’s #1-ranked team.
Doncic’s demeanour improved as Mavs log road win
NO-ONE is immune to it, but star players – especially in high-pressure situations – often feel the tension more heightened than most. Dallas’ Luka Doncic has grown a reputation for often complaining and voicing his frustrations at game officials when he doesn’t get foul calls, but the 25-year-old isn’t alone in that regard either.
LeBron James (Lakers), Trae Young (Atlanta) and Joel Embiid (76ers) are just a few examples of franchise players who suffer the same wrath from opposing fans for their respective teams, though they’ve all been eliminated from playoff contention.
Doncic, who had a 31-point triple-double in Dallas’ 104-92 road win over the West’s #1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder overnight Thursday, was asked about a noticeably different approach during a postgame interview with TNT’s Jared Greenberg.
On what changed with his demeanour, he said: “I just try to focus on basketball, sometimes I forget this is what I love and do, my mental focus is to play with a smile on my face and just go. We just gotta win one more out of two games, that’s it, 3-2 but we have to finish it and go with the same mentality.”
Doncic continued, saying he feels solely responsible when Dallas don’t perform to expectations and the guard’s play has been topsy-turvy during this postseason.
During their six-game series win over the Los Angeles Clippers, he averaged 29.8 points, 9.5 assists and 8.8 rebounds on 40.5 FG% and 23.9 3P% – impressive raw stats but both shooting splits were down considerably on his regular season totals.
He’s been dealing with a few nagging injuries recently too, first a knee complaint during their first-round series before tweaking an ankle in Game 2 of the current West semis. As their leader, the Slovenian is just expected to power through regardless.
“I’m feeling great man [smirks]. It’s basketball at the end of the day. I feel like I let my team down when we lose, it’s definitely hard but I’m just trying to go.”
- Doncic on battling his various issues before Game 6
Kyrie Irving’s determined defensive efforts have been hailed and while Doncic’s shot wasn’t always falling here, it felt pointed that he did the little things right. In the last two minutes, he grabbed a defensive rebound after Derrick Jones Jr blocked Chet Holmgren’s three-pointer, then teed him up with a dunk moments later.
Having missed a three himself to ice the game with 1:22 remaining, he manoevured his feet well and timed excellently to block Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s quick two that would’ve cut the Dallas lead to seven, all but icing the game with 54.1 left.
While it’s no revelation most players are pushing through the pain barrier at this critical juncture of the postseason, an extra day’s rest between matches should do him some good as Game 6 is set for the early hours on Sunday (1am BST).
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes via TNT broadcast
Mo and Sports 