Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was quick to deflect any compliment from Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle following their team's 126-111 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
Coach Carlisle was all praises for Doncic's defense of late, but the 6-foot-7 guard for the Mavs was having none of it:
Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle says Luka Doncic is playing the best defense of his (young) career right now. Luka doesnt want to hear it: “we’re 1-3 so that’s not good.”
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) August 7, 2020
Doncic had another outstanding showing for the Mavs on Thursday, finishing with 29 points on 10-of-21 shooting, along with six triples, three boards, and six assists.
Mavs big man Kristaps Porzingis also had one of his best games in a while, logging a game-high 30 points on 9-of-19 from the floor, three 3-pointers, with nine rebounds, five dimes, a block, and just one turnover in 38 minutes of action. Nevertheless, their heroics turned out to be futile, with the Clippers proving to be too overwhelming for this young Dallas side.
As Doncic described above, the Mavs have won just one out of their four seeding games thus far. The good news for them is that they've already secured their place in the playoffs. Dallas is currently sitting at the seventh spot with an eight-game advantage over the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
The Mavs, however, are now three games behind the Houston Rockets, who are currently sixth in the West.
Things are only going to get tougher from Doncic and company from here on out. They are scheduled to face off against the league-best Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday in what should be another high-octane matchup. At this point, it is crucial for the Mavs to build as much momentum as they can entering the playoffs.
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