Luka Dončić was asked Tuesday how his chest injury is doing and said only that “I feel good. I don’t want to get into any more details.”
Let’s be perfectly clear about the Mavericks as they return home to the boisterous American Airlines Center crowd hoping to do what the Boston Celtics did at TD Garden: win twice to hold serve:
Dončić has been the least of their worries. In fact, he’s the only reason the Mavericks had a glimmer of hope late in Game 2 on Sunday.
If he’s been limited by the chest contusion or the knee sprain or the ankle that’s bugged him off and on for months, Dončić hasn’t shown it.
But he is human. And the numbers show that the Celtics’ game plan on the Mavericks’ superstar point guard is working – at least to the extent that they are ahead 2-0 in the NBA Finals.
They have forced him to get involved defensively, which he willingly does.
But that takes its toll physically. And by the time the fourth quarter has rolled around, Dončić has every right to be gassed. In the two fourth quarters, he has shot 2-of-10 from the field and 0-of-5 from three-point land. He has three turnovers in 18 fourth-quarter minutes played.
All those pick-and-rolls that he has to fight through in the first half, all those post-ups against him, they can catch up to anybody.
Even in the Finals, when there is plenty of time between games and timeouts are longer than a Pink Floyd song, players get tired. None of them will admit it, of course. Until maybe after the game. We’ve heard Luka come to the interview podium many times and say something like: let’s go, I need sleep.
Defensively, he is working hard as the helper in the low post.
“I’ve been in that position a lot (as) the low man,” he said. “We’ve been working on it since preseason. We feel confident with that.”
The defense has, indeed, been more than adequate. The Celtics have had trouble scoring. It’s just that the Mavericks have had more trouble, particularly late in games.
But how, exactly, is Jason Kidd supposed to ration out time for Dončić and still ensure that his team can win the game? If you give him longer rests in the first half, you run the risk of falling into a deep abyss and then it’s up to Dončić to orchestrate a major comeback with fresher wheels.
All of this would be solved if some other Mavericks join the party in Game 3.
To which Kidd said the Mavericks still have strong belief in their role players, particularly those who are relied upon to supply offense when Luka and Kyrie Irving draw a crowd on the offensive end.
“Just one thing: Keep shooting,” Dončić said when asked what he’s said to teammates P.J. Washington, Derrick Jones Jr., Josh Green and Maxi Kleber. “We all believe in those shots. That’s how we came to the Finals. Everybody believes. If you’re open, keep shooting. You’re going to knock it down at some point.”
Owning up to it: Kyrie Irving’s first two games in the series were forgettable, to say the least, averaging 14 points and shooting just 13-of-37 from the field.
He said he has conversed with Dončić privately about the situation.
“It started with me just telling (Luka) I got to play better for him, alongside him,” Irving said. “In order for us to accomplish our goal, we both have to be playing well and we both have to be doing the little things, whatever it takes to win.”
But, Irving emphasized that the Mavericks need more from everybody as the series shifts to Dallas.
“Easy conversation, but it started with me reaching out just letting him know it’s my fault, taking accountability for not playing particularly well,” Irving said. “But also, I got to continue to trust my guys around us. We’ve gotten this far because we’ve been a great team, not because we’ve just put it on me and Luka.”
Ex factor? The Mavericks got some productive minutes from Dante Exum in Game 2 and, most importantly, he was able to knock down his only three-point attempt, which has been a rarity for the Mavericks in this series.
For that reason, expect to see Exum get another shot in Game 3.
“I thought that Exum did a great job in Game 2,” Kidd said. “We’ll see if we can get that combination out there a little more as a third ball handler.
“He’s one of the few that has made a three in this series. We’re going to need that a little bit more from him.”
Said Dončić about the veteran Exum’s impact: “(He’s) very helpful. He can dribble the ball. He can play point guard. He can help us both save our energy. He can make plays.”
Briefly: Dončić won a European Championship when he was 18 with Real Madrid. He was 18 years old. He was asked if that was good preparation for the NBA Finals, but said there are big differences. “Just being 18 and 25 is a big difference,” he said. “But it’s different games. Here, it’s the first to four (wins). In the EuroLeague, it’s just one game. It’s way different.” . . . Irving said he’s been impressed with the defense Boston’s Jaylen Brown has applied, often to Irving: “He’s been playing great,” he said. “Defensively, he’s making it difficult. That’s what he’s been doing all year. For the past few years, he’s tried to make his mark on that end. When you take pride in what you do on the defensive end, it’s going to show. I think he’s been separating himself on that end.” . . . Kidd has won a championship playing for the Mavericks in 2011 and now is trying to coach them to the title, a rare feat. And it’s not lost on him as to the magnitude of what he and the Mavericks are trying to do. “This is an incredible atmosphere,” Kidd said. “To win that championship in 2011, the city is incredible. They love their Mavs. To win it then and now be here in ’24 is special because you don’t really get an opportunity to do that. It’s a dream come true. But we’re trying right now to figure out how to win one game, and that’s the next one.”
X: @ESefko
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