Boston’s offensive strategy in the half court is to hunt down Luka Doncic and force him to defend.
This caused major problems on Wednesday night. A few silly mistakes (that handball in the third quarter was a bad call) and a couple of 50/50 calls in the fourth quarter didn’t go his way, and Doncic fouled out when Dallas was on a 20-2 run that had ended. turned a 21-point Boston lead into just three. After Doncic fouled out (and for much of the game, even when he was playing), the Mavericks couldn’t generate enough offense and lost and fell 0-3, and the writing is on the wall for this series.
“We couldn’t play physically,” Doncic said of his sixth foul. “I don’t know. I don’t want to say anything. You know, six mistakes in the NBA Finals, that’s basically me (he points with his palms out). Come on man. (Be) better than that.”
“Yeah, he definitely has a chance,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “He needs to be able to watch and understand that we are there to protect him and help him if he is defeated.”
Look at Doncic’s six fouls.
Mavericks fans will be upset about the sixth, but it’s a 50/50 decision. Jaylen Brown initiated contact, but Doncic was not in legal guard position. The fifth call was also 50/50. Doncic shoved and tripped Brown, but Brown hooked him with the arm, which may have been the one he challenged.
Doncic also got himself into position with some silly mistakes, like reaching behind Payton Pritchard and fouling Derrick White in the defensive zone. He also resumed his bad habit of barking at the referee a couple of times after a foul and not returning to defense, and Boston is too good to let them go five-on-four.
Maybe Doncic will get the benefit of the doubt on some boundary calls in Game 4, but if Dallas wants to win, it simply has to be better defensively. He will be a target again and he has to improve to keep them in the game: the Mavericks can’t lose by 21 points again. Doncic’s mistake may have ruined a comeback, but the fact that he had to make that comeback may be the bigger story.
If there is a fifth game, Doncic will have to defend better and stay on the court. Then you will get a lot more help.
