SUMMARY
- Luka Doncic revealed that Kyrie Irving told him to stay together and keep fighting.
- The 25-year-old believes the Celtics defense was simply too physical.
Unfortunately, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks couldn’t get the job done after a hard-fought season. Based on their run leading up to the NBA Finals, the Mavericks looked scary. But nobody expected the series to be as one-sided as it was. But this was certainly an experience gained rather than a loss to bear.
Following the game, Doncic revealed what Kyrie Irving had told him. He said, “Just stay together, man [Irving said]. I think just having Kai on my team, I mean on our team is unbelievable. You know, just helping. We said we’ll fight together next season and we’re just going to believe.”
Not everybody believed that Irving and Doncic would work out. However, they managed to bring the Mavericks to the fifth seed with 50 wins this season. The backcourt duo managed to have a historic run leading up to the finals as well. They averaged a combined 50 points per game during the playoffs alone.
Luka Doncic nearly left without words regarding the Celtics’ defensive schemes
The Celtics aggressive defense was probably what caught the Mavericks off guard. Irving, who usually puts up elite numbers only averaged 19.8 points per game throughout the series. Boston also put clamps on Daniel Gafford and Derrick Jones Jr. who were the biggest role players on the team leading up to the finals.
Luka Doncic addressed the Celtics’ overall game plan and defense during the post-game press conference. He said, “They were physical, a lot. They have great defenders… they’re a great team. That’s what they do.” During Celtics wins, the Mavericks were held under 100 points. They averaged 93.5 points per game which is considerably low for a team with a great offensive power.
Despite the Mavericks’ loss, Luka Doncic still managed to hit a few milestones
Putting aside the upsetting loss, Luka Doncic still has a few reasons to celebrate. He recorded 635 points, 208 rebounds, and 178 assists during the playoffs, making the second player in NBA history to lead the post-season in all three categories. Former NBA Champion, Nikola Jokic was the only other player to achieve the milestone.
Luka Doncic is the first player in NBA history to lead the playoffs in PTS • REB • AST • STL. pic.twitter.com/vrL3kNwh1t
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) June 18, 2024
Luka also became the 11th player in NBA history to record a combined total of 3,000+ points in a single season. This is a feature that even LeBron James hasn’t achieved in 21 seasons. Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Bob McAdoo, Eglin Baylor, Michael Jordan, and Rick Barry were the only other players who scored 3,000+ points in a single season.
