After the Mavericks beat the Celtics in Game 4, Luka Doncic was asked what he did differently on the defensive end to help his teammates. Doncic immediately praised his teammates and said that he just had to stay vigilant and focused. He also added that he wanted to do whatever he could to help his teammates win the game.
“Just have some (trust) in my team. We were locked in, especially on the defensive end. We played with pace, and it helps them. I’m here to help them, in every way I can. So, just got to play like that.”
Luka Doncic speaks on personal improvements in tonight’s performance after being ejected in Game 3 by fouling out. pic.twitter.com/PM9mDrbIUQ
— FanDuel Sports Network Southwest (@FanDuelSN_SW) June 15, 2024
Doncic had a spectacular game last night, as he put up 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists to lead the Mavericks to victory. Doncic was also solid on the defensive end of the court, securing 3 steals to help his team start a fast break. Doncic will need to show the same kind of effort for the next game if the Mavericks want to keep themselves in this series.
Doncic was helped greatly by Kyrie Irving’s performance, who put up 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists. The duo had yet another glowing performance together in the playoffs. It would be fair to say that the Mavericks’ hopes to win the NBA championship are greatly dependent on the performances of their two stars.
The role players for the Mavericks also stepped up in a big way tonight. Tim Hardaway Jr. responded after a poor Game 3 with a lights-out shooting night, scoring 15 points from 5 three-pointers. Rookie Dereck Lively got a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, and Dante Exum came off the bench to score 10 points. It was truly a team performance from the Mavericks.
Kyrie Irving Says Mavericks Have No Choice But To Focus On Making History
Kyrie Irving spoke to NBA TV after Game 4 of the NBA Finals. He said that he and the Mavericks have no choice but to focus on making history by overcoming a 3-0 deficit to win the NBA championship. He added that the Mavericks found their rhythm tonight due to their role players performing very well.
“We have no choice now but to look forward to that. To make history. That’s what the nature of this business is. You get a small amount of games and a small sample size. But I think what you saw today at the beginning of the game was our energy being very high, everybody being very poised, very lax and to the moment, but taking it to their defenders.”
“And we saw a little ish talking too that we needed in this series just to get our guys going. Not everybody is just going to be a laid-back competitor out here. We need some of our guys that are coming in to help me and Luka to be able to bring that energy and bring the force.”
The Mavericks will now go back to the T.D. Garden for Game 5. It will be an intimidating atmosphere for the Mavericks, but they will need to overcome that if they want to stay alive in this series.
If the Mavericks can win Game 5, they will get the chance to tie the series at 3-3 with a game at home. And both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have shown that they can make big shots in a Game 7, so they will be confident that they can pull off the impossible.
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