The Celtics are on the brink of an NBA title. Boston stopped Dallas’ comeback attempt on Wednesday night, winning Game 3 to take a 3-0 lead over the Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Despite 30-point performances from Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the biggest talk to come out of the contest was Luka Doncic, for all the wrong reasons.
The Mavericks star didn’t finish the game, as Doncic picked up his sixth foul midway through the fourth quarter, forcing him to the sideline. At a time when Dallas needed him most, he let his frustrations out on the court, resulting in fouls.
Doncic initially did not acknowledge his mistakes, instead making comments about the officiating in his post-match press conference. He felt the sanctions against him were not justified, especially in the NBA Finals.
However, after a night’s sleep, the Slovenian had time to reflect on the game as a whole and on Thursday admitted that he made mistakes in Game 3 that cost the Mavericks a chance at their first win in the series.
Here’s what Doncic had to say about his performance in Game 3 and his fouls against the Celtics.
Luka Doncic admits he shouldn’t have fouled out in Game 3
Doncic may not have owned up to his mistakes immediately after the game, but the Mavericks guard gave a much calmer response on Thursday. During an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Doncic admitted that he shouldn’t have fouled out Wednesday night.
“It was tough, it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do,” Doncic said. “It was a physical game. Getting six fouls, I didn’t expect it… It wasn’t the smartest thing, especially in this situation, in the Finals. You have to give it your all.”
Luka Doncic admits he let Dallas down in Game 3, telling his teammates, “Too bad, you can’t do that, especially in the NBA Finals.”
Our interview about missing out for the first time in the playoffs, the need for another painkiller shot for Game 4 and trying to make history down 0-3: pic.twitter.com/kRSjL93IHy
– Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) June 13, 2024
Doncic said he spoke to his teammates after the loss and told them he will be better in the future.
“I’m sorry, you can’t do that, especially in the NBA Finals,” Doncic said he told his teammates. “The regular season is a little different, but you can’t do that in the finals.”
Getting into foul trouble is not something Doncic is known for. The third game marked the first time in his career that he fouled out during regulation.
However, his defense, or rather the lack thereof, is another story. Doncic has been the target of the Celtics’ offense through the first three games, and Boston’s stars don’t shy away from simply attacking Doncic, which has led to their success. Doncic currently has the worst percentage of losses in series in NBA playoff history over the past 10 years, with the Celtics beating him 67.7 percent of the time.
In his press conference on Thursday, Doncic said that he knows he has “holes” in his game, but that now is not the time to reflect on what he can improve for next season.
Luka Doncic talks about whether there are any gaps in his game he wants to work on this summer that appeared in the Finals:
“Yes, a lot of holes… This is my first NBA Finals, so I’m going to learn from it… But we’re not in offseason mode yet.” pic.twitter.com/taKnnBQ9Xe
-Jack Simone (@JackSimoneNBA) June 13, 2024
NOH: Luka Doncic’s defense among the main conclusions of the third game
“There’s definitely a lot of holes… there’s a lot of things to learn,” Doncic said Thursday. “This is my first NBA Finals, so I’m sure I’ll learn from them. But we’re not out of season yet.”
If the Mavericks want to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy, then they’ll have to do something no other team has done in NBA playoff history: come back from a 3-0 series deficit. Not only has it never been accomplished in Finals history, but teams are 156-0 when up 3-0 at any time in the basketball postseason.
While history may not be on his side, Doncic said he and the team remain confident it can be done.
“We’ve been through a lot,” Doncic said. “I think we can do it because of the teammates I have. The entire team has great chemistry. “We’re going to stay together no matter what.”
