As he trudged off the court Saturday afternoon, Luka Dončić didn’t look like a 25 year old.
More like 75.
Slow and creaky, he ambled toward the locker room and then to his postgame news conference room, his body still wrapped in leggings and athletic tape and supportive sleeves and Lord knows what else.
So what’s hurting?
“Everything,” he said. “I’m just trying to battle out there. I’m glad we got the win.”
In the superstar point guard’s mind, that’s all that really matters in any game.
But his body showed the wear and tear of a playoff run that is getting more physical by the game, seemingly. He sprained his right knee in the third game of the first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers.
He’s been hounded relentlessly in the conference semifinals against Oklahoma City, never moreso than on Saturday in the 105-101 Mavericks’ win that put them ahead 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
And Thunder guard Lu Dort, built like a mini version of a Mack truck and who has barreled over and through Dončić more than a few times, is their defensive ringleader.
It’s something Luka and all of the Mavericks have had to get used to through three games.
So what is making Dort effective in this series?
“It’s the combination of his physical profile and his lateral quickness,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “He really moves incredibly well laterally for somebody that size.
“And then you add the fact that he’s relentless as a competitor. He’s a punching bag. You can screen him hard and it doesn’t impact his next pursuit. That’s why he’s a great defensive player. The thing about him is he just keeps going.”
Dort is listed as a 6-3, 215-pound guard. Most observers believe the weight to be a bit on the low side.
But regardless, he’s a rugged, physical player who craves contact and doesn’t back down from bigger challenges, like the 6-7 Dončić. And remember, Luka called Dort one of the top three on-ball defenders in the league before the series started.
“He’s not afraid to get screened,” Jason Kidd said. “He’s not afraid to play with contact. That’s something that’s different in this league, but slowly changing to be a little more physical so guys can understand they’re going to get hit. But he does that for the time he’s on the floor. He plays hard and that’s what separates him and makes him a good defender.”
Dort takes a realistic approach to guarding Dončić, who led the league in scoring this season at a smidge under 34 points per game.
“He’s that type of player for a reason,” Dort said. “He’s going to make tough shots. We’ve got to be cool with that. But it just has to be tough.”
And it has to be done without fouling too much, which means Dort must keep his hands out of the cookie jar.
“If the refs can’t see my hands, they don’t know what’s going on,” he said. “I’ve got to watch film and get better. I’m going to stay aggressive. I got six (fouls). If I got to use the all, I’m going to use them all.”
And Dort has a way of getting his money’s worth on those fouls. And sometimes, it’s not even a foul, but just a hard play that falls within the bounds of legality on the court.
That was the case with 1:28 left when Dončić stepped in front of a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pass for the steal, but Dort met him in midair and Luka went crashing to the court on his hip. He later would say that’s the least of his worries, but it didn’t feel all that great in the moment.
When asked what kind of job Dort has done so far, Daigneault said it’s been good, particularly in Game 2, which was a Thunder loss.
“He (Dončić) is an all-world player,” the coach said. “I thought Dort did a good job (in Game 2) because Doncic got off to a smoking hot start and when he starts a game like that – he had (73) earlier in the year – it’s going to be a long night. And we were able to stabilize that to a degree and Lu had a lot to do with that.
“The thing I respect about him is he’s going to make a guy earn everything. Doncic is . . . going to make great plays. That’s why he’s one of the best players in the league. It’s like, how much can you make him exert to do that. That’s Lu’s deal. He’s going to make you earn everything. You’re going to get the best of him on some nights, but it won’t be unearned.”
Here’s a couple other takeaways from Saturday’s win:
REBOUNDING IS KEY: The Mavericks won the glass 48-41. It was their second game in a row to take charge in the rebounding department and their second win in a row. It’s no surprise to P.J. Washington. “I think whoever wins the rebounding game is going to win a lot of these games,” Washington said. “So for us, we just try to be aggressive. We know we have a (size) advantage, but it’s about who wants it more and we have to be that team.” Washington also said he’s grown to appreciate Luka’s toughness, which showed itself with his 15 rebounds, despite playing with a sprained right knee. “He’s super-tough,” Washington said. “Luka’s a special player, so he’s going to get that each and every night. Guys try to get into his head and be physical with him. Obviously, it doesn’t really do too much to him. He’s a superstar and he’s doing what a superstar does.”
STRONG NUMBERS: The Mavericks got 27 points from P.J. Washington, along with 22 points each from Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. That marks the first time they’ve had three players with at least 22 points in a playoff game since April 25, 2007, when Josh Howard, Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki did it . . . In addition, Irving had 22 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Dončić added 15 rebounds and five assists to his points. They became the third twosome in the 2024 playoffs to each have at least 20-5-5 in multiple games, joining Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
X: @ESefko
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