Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic will make his playoff debut tomorrow against the Los Angeles Clippers. He's well-aware at how different the regular season games are from the postseason. And in the series, he expects their foes to be extra aggressive and the referees to swallow their whistles.
Doncic will finally get his first taste of playoff basketball against the Clippers. Apart from getting to know their foes' tendencies and playstyles, he also expects the referees to call things differently.
“We’re going to get hit in these playoffs,” Doncic said, per Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. “Not going to get the same calls, so you’ve just got to play through it and you know, just be as physical as they are.”
Apart from Luka Doncic, it is also Kristaps Porzingis' first playoff appearance. The two are tagged as the Mavs' star duo. And from Doncic's comments, he knows that the Clippers defense will be focused on them.
Most experts and even casual fans believe that the Clippers will come away with the victory. They are simply the better team with significant playoff experience. Not to mention their coach Doc Rivers who has a title ring himself coupled with a number of deep playoffs runs with various teams. Also, let's not forget Kawhi Leonard who has two title rings and is at the peak of his career.
The odds are definitely stacked against the Mavs. But for fans, they see this series as an important step in their development as a team. As such, they may not win the series, but it will aid their resolve in the years to come.