Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are one loss away from being swept in the Western Conference Finals. Much of the same story from the previous games continued, as the Mavs shooters struggled from beyond the arc. In addition, the Mavs defense hasn’t plugged the holes that have been evident in the first two games, making the Warriors game plan straightforward.
Doncic had his 8th 40-point playoff game in his career, but this has become his 6th loss in those 8 games. Doncic’s performance saw him explode in the fourth quarter, but the Mavs couldn’t stop the Warriors and slumped to the loss. Despite Luka’s performance, many people have already started bringing the forks out for Doncic.
With the Mavs on the verge of being swept, Luka has been tasked to prove that he can carry a team like the superstars he is compared to. Many fans also understand that it is hard to beat the Warriors when role players like Reggie Bullock shoot 0-11:
Final. Game 4 on Tuesday. @Chime | #dALLasIN pic.twitter.com/FwvxFWok0n
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 23, 2022
Luka Doncic scored 21 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough for the Mavs to make a comeback against the Warriors. Dallas is now 2-6 when Doncic scores 40+ in the playoffs in his career.
— Tim MacMahon (@BannedMacMahon) May 23, 2022
https://twitter.com/cee_pain/status/1528567334037868546
Finding a starting center better than Dwight Powell should be the #1 priority for the Mavericks this summer.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) May 23, 2022
the mavericks definitely look like a team that can only rely on six players and has played every other day for about a month.
— Josh Bowe (@Boweman55) May 23, 2022
That extends an NBA record of 26 consecutive playoff series that the Warriors have won a road game. This core will always get at least one in your building.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 23, 2022
Luka would prefer to have 25 and 15 assists. No doubt about it. He scores a lot, when the team struggles to score. But he'd much rather be racking up assists than buckets. https://t.co/9ofMqfnGgh
— Matej Sportinfo (@MatejSportinfo) May 23, 2022
I don't care if Luka's teammates aren't hitting shots. He has to be mature enough to stop pouting. Pessimism is contagious and that's the last thing they need rn
— jas the terrible 🪼 (@terriblyjas) May 23, 2022
https://twitter.com/MindOfReese/status/1528578948036182016
As vulnerable as Warriors have looked at times, this postseason is a reminder of the incredible difficulty of beating a team with healthy Steph/Klay/Draymond 4x in a series. When their peak is over, not many teams will be able to say they did it. The teams that do are exceptional
— Marcus Thompson II (@ThompsonScribe) May 23, 2022
The Golden State Warriors are one win away from going back to the NBA Finals. The dynasty is not over.
— Antonin (@antonin_org) May 23, 2022
ANDREW WIGGINS pic.twitter.com/zbM21PERmj
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 23, 2022
Andrew Wiggins just killed a man on national TV.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) May 23, 2022
The Mavs have played their team to its last legs. They have a solid rotation of a few dependable players who have played heavy minutes through the latter half of the regular season and all post-season. Bullock leads the playoffs in minutes played, with players like Dorian Finney-Smith also averaging heavy minutes.
The Warriors are proving why they are a championship-level team. This was a stellar team performance exemplified by performances by Andrew Wiggins, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson.
Hopefully, the Mavericks can find their fighting spirit in Game 4. The players looked worn out by the end of the game and couldn’t keep pace with the Warriors, outside Doncic who had a 23-point quarter to keep the Mavs within single digits. But it seems the load on the young star may be a little too much for this playoff run.
