Luka Magic is back on the menu, baby! While Luka Doncic has been tearing it up in the postseason, we have not seen a lot of game-winners for the star. On Friday, Doncic finally had his “Kodak moment”, as Reggie Miller would put it. The Dallas Mavericks star drained a tough stepback three over Rudy Gobert in the final moments of the game to put the team up 2-0 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their series.
That shot alone would have easily made the rounds on social media. However, Doncic's reaction to the shot put this shot at an all-time level. The Mavericks star taunted the Defensive Player of the Year with some pretty colorful language. (video via Complex Sports)
Woah. Doncic has always been a ferocious trash-talker. He has some pretty incredible lines on his resume. However, this has to be his most savage smack talk yet. The Mavericks star was pretty pumped up after the shot, as evidenced by this reaction. After the game, Doncic revealed that yes, that play was designed to hunt Gobert out.
“Draymond Green: “When you ended up with Rudy Gobert, was that the matchup you were looking for?” Luka Doncic: “Yeah, I told D-Live [Dereck Lively II] to set a screen because they're gonna switch, we wanted that.””
Doncic was also asked in the post-game press conference about his reaction and what exactly he said to Gobert. The Mavericks star had a cheeky response, claiming that he was only speaking in Slovenian.
Doncic's triple capped off yet another excellent performance from the Mavericks star in the postseason. In Game 2, the star had a triple-double with 32 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds to bury the Timberwolves in a 0-2 hole. This came right after another 30-point outing in Game 1. It's safe to say that Doncic is simply on another level this offseason.
Mavericks on the brink of Finals appearance
In Game 2, the Timberwolves inexplicably tried a switching defense against Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Naturally, the Mavericks proceeded to hunt Rudy Gobert on offense. While Gobert is an okay perimeter defender, he's no match for elite guards such as Doncic and Irving. It was no surprise that in the final moments of the game, the Mavs turned to that matchup to save them.
A 2-0 record is not as indestructible as, say, a 3-0 or a 3-1 lead in the playoffs. However, it does set the Mavericks up for a ton of success. They now hold homecourt advantage as the series shifts to Dallas for the next two games. A win in just one of those games will put the Mavs in series point and pins the Timberwolves in a tough scenario. Factor in Kyrie's immaculate record in closeout games, and you have a clear win condition in the series.
Winning twice at home isn't as easy as it might sound. Just ask this same Timberwolves team, who found themselves in a similar scenario before dropping two straight on the road against Denver in the previous round. It also doesn't help that both games have been close nailbiters that were decided in the final moment. This series could have easily been 1-1 (or even 2-0 for Minnesota) had the Mavericks shot a little worse.
Still, the Mavericks are in prime position to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since that fateful 2011 championship run. Can they finish off what they started?
Follow Us
Subscribe