Kyrie Irving spoke to the press about Luka Doncic‘s performance in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. He assured Doncic he was not alone in this series, and he didn’t need to bear the brunt of responsibility on his shoulders alone. Irving spoke about his own experience having such a massive spotlight on him, and how it helped improve how he handles these things.
“My message to him is just – he’s not alone in this. He’s played as best as he can, despite the circumstances, injuries, and stuff, he’s been giving it his all. So it’s not all on him. Being under the microscope in this business is a lot different for me now than four years ago or five years ago because I’m able to put the big picture of life in perspective and also the game in perspective. It comes easier.”
Irving added that social media and other distractions can make playing in such a high-pressure environment very difficult, something he, the team, the coaching staff, and the rest of the franchise are learning now.
“I think that social media, sociopathic behavior… Any little thing you give your energy to can be a distraction that doesn’t positively reinforce what you’re trying to accomplish, so I think we’re learning that about each other right now, from not only us as players but also the coaching staff and everybody that’s been part of this journey thus far.”
(Till 0:52)
"He's played as best as he can … It's not all on him."
Kyrie came to Luka's defense despite the criticism on his Finals performance 💯 pic.twitter.com/szPPI3yYvy
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 13, 2024
Luka Doncic has caught a lot of criticism for his Game 3 showing. Not only for the poor defensive performances, Doncic was slammed by several people for his petulant behavior when not getting calls in his favor. Doncic did not do his reputation any favors with that showing.
Luka Doncic Must Be Better In The Future
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst went off on Luka Doncic for his showing in Game 3, saying that he had an unacceptable performance and that the Mavericks franchise needs him to abandon his bad habits if they ever want to win the NBA championship during his stint there.
“When Luka fell to the ground there in an unacceptable position with four minutes left and five fouls, then immediately looks at the bench like, ‘You better bleeping challenge that,’ as if it’s the bench’s fault he made a terrible play. I am standing here in the Mavericks’ tunnel, over there is the Celtics’ tunnel where the winners are. If Luka is ever gonna be a winner coming out of the tunnel, he’s gonna have to use what’s happened in these NBA Finals as a learning experience.”
“This defensive performance is unacceptable. He’s a hole on the court and the Celtics are attacking him and they are ahead in this series because they have attacked him defensively. You have a situation where Luka is complaining about the officiating. They have begged him, they have talked with him, they have pleaded with him, he’s costing his team because of how he treats the officials. He’s a brilliant player, he does so many things well, they’re here because of how he did. His performance in this game was unacceptable and the reason why the Mavericks won’t win.”
“The fact he came out of the game and complained about the officials shows me he’s nowhere close yet. But maybe over the summer, somebody will get to him. There’s nobody in the Mavericks or anybody else in his life who has. That’s why the Mavericks are where they are. They’re never going to get through this tunnel with the trophy if he doesn’t improve those bad habits in his game.”
Doncic put up 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, but he was very inefficient last night, shooting just 40.7% from the field and a staggering 14.3% from the three-point line, and ended the night with a defensive rating of 117.2.
Luka came out today and admitted that he let himself and his teammates down and that they need to improve significantly if they stand any chance of making history and overcoming a 3-0 deficit. While a comeback is almost impossible, the Mavericks must at least make this series competitive.
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