Doncic Self-Review Of Record-Setting Playoff Effort? 'Terrible'
"Terrible.''
As our Matt Galatzan wrote in review of the Dallas Mavericks' 118-110 Game 1 NBA Playoffs loss on Monday, "Luka Doncic is what we thought he was.'' At the same time, Doncic himself thinks something else.
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Luka, how do you think you played during your record-setting 42-point debut vs. the Los Angeles Clippers?
“Terrible,'' said the 21-year-old MVP candidate. "I had 11 turnovers. I should never have that much.''
To that second point ... OK. We won't argue with you, kid. But Doncic finished the contest with those 42 points on 13-of-21 shooting, along with seven rebounds, nine assists and three steals in 38 minutes of action. He also made 14 of his 15 attempts from the free-throw line ... and coach Rick Carlisle suggested that he should've had more free throws, and would've committed fewer turnovers, had the refs been more aware of the "everything''-level of no-call fouling utilized by the Clippers to try to keep up with the phenom.
Carlisle on Tuesday also blamed Dallas' offensive lack of "spacing'' for some of the turnovers.
But whether whistles or spacing are Dallas' problems, L.A. knows the Dallas solution.
"He's the future,'' said a respectful Paul George of the Clippers, recognizing something Dallas wishes the refs would grasp.
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But Luka, whose Mavs will take another stab at this at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Orlando bubble, don't want to wait for the future.
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They want more points now. They want fewer turnovers now. They want something that is at the heart of Doncic's displeasure with his largely-incredible performance, the reason he might've mumbled up a "terrible'' even without the excess of cough-ups.
I just want to win,'' Doncic said.
