The fourth game of any NBA Playoffs series is the most crucial out of any matchup. It decides whether the first-to-four games clash is practically over or if it is very tight and has the potential to go to seven. This series between the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks might go down the wire. Officiating may have been getting on the players and coaches' nerves but it has kept certain stars in the game. None have been more blessed than Jason Kidd's mentee, Luka Doncic.
The Mavericks superstar already had a technical foul in Game 4 against the Clippers. He got it after not being able to sink a three-pointer and immediately getting on the referee's ear. If he had committed another one, Coach Jason Kidd's squad would have lost a lot of their offensive power without Luka Doncic.
Interestingly, he made an odd choice a few sequences after. He waved his arm around in the middle of the game. Immediately, the official turned around and ignored that gesture from the Mavericks star.
This choice of officiating got a ton of responses as the Mavericks were trying to mount a comeback.
“Wow, that arm wave from Luka is a dicey move when he's already on one tech,” John Hollinger of The Athletic wrote.
Even Nate Duncan posits that Luka Doncic got away with a move that would have sidelined him for the rest of the game, “Ref did a great job immediately turning away from Luka after that call because that double hand wave is an automatic tech and that would have been it for Luka.”
Some fans just did not flat out like the way this game is being called at all, “FEELS LIKE THE REFEREES HAVEN'T KNOWN HOW TO OFFICIATE CLIPPERS-MAVS ALL SERIES.”
After those mixed reactions, it looks like the Mavericks have gone on to rally such that they dug themselves out of the 31-point deficit.
Mavericks get on an absolute heater
Finding assurance is hard in the NBA Playoffs. A team was once up three to nothing in the finals and still lost. Any lead, a very healthy player, or just other factors that feel guaranteed are not at all safe from the uncertainty of the postseason. The Clippers are starting to learn this the hard way. Tyronn Lue absolutely picked apart Jason Kidd's defense in the earlier stages of Game 4. He exposed each and every player. Then, it was the Mavericks' turn to hit hard.
Kyrie Irving knocked down 14 out of his 23 field goal attempts and went perfect in his four free throws for 38 points. He also proceeded to drop five assists and grab six rebounds for the Mavericks. Doncic, on the other hand, put up an insane all-around performance to try and notch the three-to-nothing NBA Playoffs series lead. He recorded 29 points while ripping 10 boards straight out of the air and assisting on 10 baskets as well.
As of writing, only PJ Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. have contributed in double-digit scoring numbers too. The two combined for 24 points.
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