‘Fun’ key to Mavs’ bid for unprecedented NBA Finals comeback: Doncic

Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after fouling out in the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center on June 12, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.   (Getty Images via AFP)

LOS ANGELES – Dallas superstar Luka Doncic says the Mavericks must set aside the enormity of the task facing them in the NBA Finals and get back to having fun if they are to mount an unprecedented comeback against Boston.

The Slovenian fouled out with just over four minutes remaining in game three on Wednesday and could only watch from the bench as the Celtics thwarted the Mavs’ late rally for a 106-99 victory and a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

Dallas head into game four on Friday knowing no team has come back from 0-3 down to win an NBA playoff series.

If they are to become the first, Doncic said, they must forget their frustrations with the officiating, forget history and play the freewheeling game that saw them cut a 21-point deficit to one in the fourth quarter in game three.

“Go back to playing fun,” Doncic said of the message after Dallas studied the game three film on Thursday.

“We talk about how we come back from (21) points in the fourth quarter in the Finals. We were having fun. We were defending. We were running. Our pace was great. Just taking good shots.”

Doncic fouled out for just the third time in his career and for the first time in the post-season, but he’s made a habit of appealing to and arguing with game officials throughout his NBA career.

He’s said before it’s a habit he should break, and he admitted again on Thursday that complaining to game officials — sometimes to the detriment of his attention on the game in progress — was counter-productive since officials will always “have the last word”.

“I just really want to win,” Doncic said. “Sometimes I don’t show it the right way, but at the end of the day, I really want to win. I’ve got to do a better job showing it a different way.”

Doncic has been outstanding offensively in the Finals, averaging 29.7 points, nine rebounds and six assists over three games despite playing with a longstanding right knee sprain and sore left ankle and a painful chest injury sustained in game one that reportedly required pain-killing injections to allow him to play.

In the fourth quarter, however, he’s averaging 2.7 points and shooting just 20 percent from the field.

But Doncic has been ineffective on the defensive end, his weaknesses showcased in his sixth, disqualifying foul on Wednesday when he was whistled for a blocking foul as he tried to defend Jaylen Brown.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said Doncic needs to play smarter defensively and “understand that we’re there to protect him and help him if he does get beat.”

Star teammate Kyrie Irving — who won a title with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 — had the same message for first-time finalist Doncic.

“He’s not alone in this,” said Irving, whose shooting struggles in games one and two in Boston increased the load on Doncic. “He’s played as best as he can despite the circumstances, just injuries and stuff

“He’s been giving it his all. It’s not all on him.”