Luka Doncic let his feelings be known towards Daniel Gafford during Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Luka wanted Gafford to set a screen for a screen-and-roll play, but Gafford seemingly neglected to do so. Doncic was forced to put up the shot, but he did not make the shot as the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the quarter, and then turned to Gafford and let him know that he should have set the screen in time.
Luka is PISSED at Gafford 👀 https://t.co/S2BMXZyNTO
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) May 23, 2024
Luka was understandably frustrated, as this lapse in judgment by Gafford led to a missed shot in a tight game against the Timberwolves. Luckily for Gafford and the Mavs, the mistake was not too costly, and the Mavericks were able to win a vital Game 1 on the road against the Timberwolves to take a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals.
Doncic had a solid game, scoring 33 points, with 8 assists and 6 rebounds as he led both teams in scoring. As for Gafford, despite his mistake, he put up a respectable stat line of 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 block. Doncic stole the show last night, despite a shaky night from the three-point line, going just 3 for 10 from beyond the arc. Luka’s 33-point performance made history, as it made him the all-time points-per-game leader in Western Conference Finals history.
Doncic has been solid in these playoffs so far, averaging 27.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists, playing some solid basketball as he has led the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in three seasons. Doncic has shown that critics were wrong about his ability to be a playoff success, something people had thought during his first few seasons in the NBA.
Luka Doncic Regularly Shows Love To His Teammates
While some might criticize Doncic for his overly theatrical reactions to his teammates’ mistakes, it can be understood. These are high-pressure situations when it comes to playoff basketball, and every play can be important. Doncic’s frustration is understandable given the stakes at hand, and while he could have been a little less aggressive, it would be unlikely that Gafford or any of his other teammates were upset about it.
Doncic did show love to his other teammates after the game, specifically Kyrie Irving. In a post-game interview, Doncic noted how Irving’s 30-point performance was key to the Mavericks staying in the game and eventually getting the win. He credited Kyrie for motivating him and the rest of the team to improve their performance in the second half.
Luka Doncic: “We had to work really hard to get this one. I think we know for Game 1 we (can’t) lose, so we tried to make a point. But that’s only one, we got three more to go… Amazing. He (Kyrie Irving) got us going. Without him, we would probably be down 20 in halftime. So he had us going, I had to help him in the second half a little bit. So we switched roles this time… Jaden McDaniels started hitting threes, we said we gonna live with contested threes, but I think I have to do a better job contesting those because he was a big problem in this game.”
"He [Kyrie Irving] got us going, without him, we would probably be down 20 at halftime… I had to help in the second half."
Luka Doncic points out what went right for the Mavericks in their Game 1 WCF win over the Timberwolves 🗣
(via @NBAonTNT)pic.twitter.com/pC3vd6otK7
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 23, 2024
Doncic and the Mavericks will be looking to wrap up the series soon and book their first trip back to the NBA Finals since 2011. Jason Kidd was a player for the Mavericks when they won the NBA Championship in 2011, but he could now get the chance to do it as a head coach.
Luka Doncic made the All-NBA First Team last night before the game. Because of this accolade, Doncic is eligible to sign a 5-year, $346 million contract extension with the Mavericks. If Luka were to sign, this would make him the highest-paid player in NBA history, surpassing Jaylen Brown. If Doncic can close out this season by leading the Mavs to an NBA championship, Mark Cuban will not hesitate for a single second to pay him that large amount.
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