In a 106-99 loss to the Celtics in Game 3, the Dallas Mavericks now found themselves down 3-0 in the NBA Finals. The Celtics are simply better than the Mavericks and it’s shown. Their star talent and depth on the roster are far better than what Dallas has. During Game 3 on Wednesday night, Luka Doncic fouled out of the game in the fourth quarter.
After the game, respected NBA insider and writer Brian Windhorst was on late-night SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt. Windhorst did not hold back and gave it to Luka Doncic. He mentioned how Luka’s defensive efforts have held the Mavericks back in the NBA Finals. It might not be what Doncic wants to hear but it’s the truth. Boston has been attacking him on the defensive end all series long. Now, the Mavs are down 3-0 to the Celtics and are on the verge of being swept in the NBA Finals.
Brian Windhorst let Luka Doncoc hear it, calling out his defensive efforts in the 2024 NBA Finals
Brian Windhorst goes OFF on Luka Doncic 😳
(🎥 @BoltGangBaby ) pic.twitter.com/Tp7nY2R3Vo
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 13, 2024
Everything Brian Windhorst has said about Luka Doncic in this series is true. The ESPN insider has not questioned Doncic’s abilities on offense. That speaks for itself every night. However, Windhorst is calling out Luka Doncic for his poor defensive efforts in the NBA Finals. Especially how he handled the end of Game 3. With about four minutes left in the Game, Doncic picked up his fifth foul and looked at the bench for them to make a challenge. He was trying to make it seem as if it was not his fault for picking up the foul.
Additionally, Doncic has been picked on this series defensively time and time again. Windhorst said he is a “hole” in the court and the Celtics are exploiting it. Along with his questionable defense, Luka Doncic cannot stop complaining to the refs about foul calls. Throughout the 2024 postseason, we’ve seen Doncic arguing with the refs non-stop. It’s gotten to a point where it’s affecting the team’s play because of how he’s treating the officials. Doncic is going to have some serious self-evaluation to do this summer.
Luka has been awful on defense 😳 pic.twitter.com/u65zSHf6GI
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 13, 2024
The Mavericks’ front office needs to have a one-on-one conversation with Luka Doncic this offseason. He’s one of the top five players in the NBA and is a generational talent. It’s been Luka Doncic’s brilliant offensive performances that got the Mavericks to the Finals, However, the team seems to have met their match with the Celtics. Additionally, Doncic is not 100% and that’s been clear in this series. He needed pain injections before the game just to be able to play. Dallas is down 3-0 in the 2024 NBA Finals with Game 4 on Friday. Can the Mavericks win Game 4 and keep themselves from being swept in the Finals?