Luka Doncic Wants To Play Better For Kyrie Irving: “I Feel Like I’m Letting Him Down”

Luka Doncic got real on playing through his knee injury and disappointing Kyrie Irving with his poor performances.

4 Min Read

Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Mavericks fell to a 111-116 loss at home to the Clippers, as the Los Angeles-based franchise dominated the first half to jump out to a 33-point lead. Luka Doncic put up a triple-double in the loss but openly discussed his disappointing level of play and expressed how he feels he’s letting Kyrie Irving down. 

“I just got to help him more. I feel like I’m letting him down, so I got to be there, I got to help him more. He’s giving everything he has and he’s been amazing for us the whole series.”

Doncic put up 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the loss, shooting inefficiently and laboring through his knee injury. Irving scored 40 points in the game, leading the charge for Dallas when they overturned a 31-point deficit to retake the lead of the game before James Harden scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to beat the best clutch-time team in the NBA. 

Irving has averaged 28.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists through four games of the series, while Doncic has averaged 29.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists on 38.6% shooting from the field. Luka has clearly dropped from the regular season and isn’t looking like the superstar guard we’ve seen in previous years. 


Luka Doncic Opens Up On His Knee Injury

Kawhi Leonard was ruled out of Game 4 after the shootaround had started, with the inflammation in the knee of the Clippers’ superstar prompting the team to bench their star forward. Doncic is also dealing with a knee injury but played through it to try and give the Mavericks a 3-1 series lead.

Doncic refused to blame the injury and called the Mavericks’ start to the game sloppy.

“It’s hurting, obviously, but that shouldn’t be an excuse. Just came out a little sloppy, so we got to do way better than that.”

Dallas played similarly disjointed first-quarter basketball in Game 1 when Kawhi Leonard was ruled out at the last minute. It seems a more aggressive Clips squad without Leonard perfectly matches up to stop the Mavericks from scoring at will, though they did make a 31-point comeback before incredible late-game shotmaking helped them earn the win after blowing that big lead.

Kyrie Irving spoke on Luka Doncic’s competitive mentality after the game.

“Knowing how well he knows the Clippers, I know he wants to play well, and I know he wants to make a bigger impact than what he’s doing now even though he’s almost averaging a triple-double… He’s a young kid in the playoffs going against a team that beat him twice. There’s a little bit of a mental fatigue there…”

The Mavericks will be rearing to bounce back in Game 5 of the series, as a win there gives them an opportunity to seal the series at home in a pivotal Game 6.

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

Share This Article
Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *