Luka Doncic ensured the Dallas Mavericks wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Facing a 3-0 deficit in the NBA Finals, Doncic stepped up and led the Mavericks to a dominant 122-84 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 on Friday night at home.
Doncic scored 29 points, along with five assists, five rebounds, and three steals, which helped him redeem himself after a fourth-quarter collapse in Game 3 had drawn heavy criticism from the media.
In that game, the Mavericks were down by 21 points following a Derrick White three-pointer with 11:07 left, but they rallied to cut the deficit to 93-90 with 6:11 remaining. However, with 4:12 left, Doncic was called for a blocking foul on Jaylen Brown—his sixth personal foul—after attempting to draw a charge.
The Mavericks challenged the call, but it was upheld, and Doncic had to sit out the rest of the game. He had committed four fouls in the final quarter.
Kyrie Irving later made a jumper to bring the Mavericks within one point, but without Doncic, they couldn’t take the lead, resulting in the 3-0 series deficit.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd felt the criticism of Doncic was undeserved, and Doncic showed why on Friday.
“He was Luka. He’s always been Luka,” Kidd said after Game 4. “He played at a high level. He’s one of the best players in the world. Despite the criticism, he’s a fantastic player.”
Although Kidd didn’t directly address Doncic, Doncic appreciated his coach’s support.
“That means a lot. He always backs us up and supports us,” Doncic said. “It’s great to have a coach like that.”
Despite the win, the Mavericks face a tough challenge down 3-1 in the series. NBA teams that lose the first three games of a best-of-seven series are 0-156, including 0-14 in the finals, but Dallas still has a chance to make history.
“Our team was ready to fight,” Kidd said about Game 4. “We were desperate and played that way. We need to continue playing like that. The hardest part is closing the door when a team has nothing to lose.”
To continue their comeback, the Mavericks must win in Boston on Monday. Celtics veteran Al Horford believes his team can bounce back from the poor Game 4 performance.
“After each win, we put it behind us,” Horford said. “We need to improve on some things, discard others, and make sure we play our best basketball.”
Dallas lost Games 1 and 2 in Boston, where Irving, a former Celtic, was jeered by fans whenever he had the ball.
Irving is confident the Mavericks are prepared for the hostile environment.
“When we go to Boston, the fans will still yell crazy things, but we’ve grown and faced adversity head-on,” Irving said. “We’re learning about each other during the highest stage of basketball. It’s challenging but also beautiful if we stay poised.”
–Nick Galle, Field Level Media/Reuters
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