There were a lot of question marks in the Dallas Mavericks system amid their Game 2 loss. Whether it was their defensive execution, getting better spacing for players in Jason Kidd's system to thrive, or anything else, none of them were answered by in-game adjustments. The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, had multiple guys stepping up in the NBA Finals which led them to a 105 to 98 victory. All of this can surely frustrate superstars. So, is Luka Doncic feeling that as of the moment?
Well, Luka Doncic was not really mad at himself. Rather, the Mavericks star took a lot of accountability for his shortcomings, per Landon Thomas of Mavs Fans For Life.
“I think my turnovers and my missed free throws cost us the game. I’ve got to do way better in those two categories. But at the end of the day, we gotta make shots to win the game,” the Mavericks star said.
True enough, those mishaps, whether they were forced by the Celtics defense or not, were big in turning the tides of this NBA Finals matchup. Doncic had committed eight big turnovers which cost the Mavericks a lot of offensive momentum. Whenever he got the whistle he wanted, he would also fail in delivering in the charity stripe. He ended the game by going 50% from his free throws despite attempting eight of them.
While there were a lot of dark spots in his game, the Mavericks would not have even been this close if not for his efforts. Doncic scored 32 points on 42 minutes of action. In that span of time, he was also able to secure a triple-double with 11 assists and 11 rebounds. His four steals against a star-studded Celtics offense rounded out his performance for the night.
Some of the mistakes might come from his injury while others due to the Celtics defense. Nonetheless, he should be able to patch it up as the NBA Finals series heads to the Mavericks' home floor.
Mavericks head honcho gives his flowers
Accountability is essential for any team to move forward in their pursuits. The Mavericks know this. Jason Kidd greatly appreciated the fact that Doncic knew that he took part in their narrow loss to the Celtics. He acknowledged what his superstar did in his post-game presser.
“He was great. No matter what he says, that’s just who he is, he’s a leader. It’s not all on him, it’s a team. We win as a team, we lose as a team. He put us in a position, he was really good tonight & unfortunately we couldn’t get over the hump,” Jason Kidd declared.
There are also a lot of things that Kidd can do for his team. One of which is to craft better schemes. This is so that guys like PJ Washington and Kyrie Irving could get to their spots. Another is to figure out how Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II can contribute better if the Celtics continue to disallow lobs in the Mavericks offense. If all of those get figured out, this NBA Finals series can surely be extended until the Mavericks win four games.
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