SAN FRANCISCO – Luka Doncic’s initial reaction at the end of the longest-running playoff series of his young NBA career was to express his disappointment.
“I don’t like to lose, especially like that,” Doncic said after the Dallas Mavericks were eliminated Thursday night with a 120-110 loss in the fifth game to the Golden State Warriors. “I played terribly.”
Doncic finished his last game of the season with 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists, but it was a performance that was well below his high levels, especially in possible eliminations. He was only 10 of 28 from the court, including 3 of 13 from the 3-point range, and often did not return to defense after his failures.
Doncic scored 15 points when the Mavs bounced back in the third quarter, but Dallas could not overcome a deficit that rose to 25 points in part due to poor performance in the first half, when he was just 2 yards out. 12 of the ground. with three turns.
Still, it was the 10th time in those playoffs that Doncic led Dallas in points, rebounds and assists, breaking the record set by LeBron James in 2013 for more outings of this type in a single postseason. He averaged 31.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists to lead the Mavericks, who had last won a series of playoffs during the 2011 Franchise Championship, in the Western Conference Finals. .
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“Speaking of our season, I’m very proud of this team – everyone, every player, every staff member,” Doncic said. “No one had us here. But I promise we fought to the end. Congratulations to the Warriors. They were obviously the best team. But I’m very proud of that team.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr described Doncic as “impossible to protect”. At 23, Doncic has already proven to be a historically elite offensive threat in the playoffs, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only player in NBA history with an average of at least 30 points per game in each of the games. its first three post-seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information. .
Doncic said he is confident the Mavs are “on a great path” to becoming a championship team, but said he needs to take important steps on the defensive for the team to reach those heights.
“I think the defense has to be much better for me,” said Doncic, who was often the target of playoff rivals. “Honestly, I think I’ve taken a big step on the defensive this year, but there’s a lot of room for improvement. I have to be much better here. I think that’s a point that can take us to the next level.”
Doncic also spoke of the “great relationship” he developed with first-year Mavs coach Jason Kidd, a Hall of Fame base whose lead on the track played a key role in the Mavs’ solo title. . He has highlighted his confidence in Kidd, who has publicly challenged Doncic on a number of occasions this season, such as calling him to argue with the referees instead of running back on defense and challenging him to “participate” in defense.
Doncic won his third straight All-NBA first team selection despite having to play to get fit. He appeared on the training ground weighing more than £ 260 for the second season in a row and did not act as a MVP candidate until after taking a three-week break in December to recover from recurring ankle sprains and work in its conditioning.
Kidd did not specifically mention Doncic when he conveyed the post-match message he delivered to the Mavs in the locker room, but it looked like he was destined for the superstar, who will spend much of the offseason playing for the Slovenian national team.
“Now it’s about, what’s our appetite for next season?” said Kidd. “Are we going to the toe season or will we be hungry? So, will we train this summer to understand what it means to play in May and June? Because it’s a long season.”
Doncic has been making constant improvements since his Rookie of the Year campaign, such as adding a Dirk Nowitzki-style one-legged fadeaway and polishing his float. Mavs management predicts that Doncic will return to Dallas with even more.
“That’s what the big ones do,” Mavs Governor Mark Cuban said. “He’s a player between the top three, the top two and the top two in this league, and he’ll keep improving. Some guys, who they are are who they are. It’s not Luka. Luka will keep improving.”