The Dallas Mavericks players, especially Luka Doncic, seem to be worn out against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are currently one of the best defensive teams in the league. To break their defense, the Mavs have to put in more effort in the semifinal series and Doncic, being their star scorer, is giving his all.
After a tough 105-101 win on Saturday, as the Slovenian guard was walking off the court with his teammates, he appeared to be dealing with some difficulties. During the post-game press conference, when Doncic was asked what was hurting, he answered, “Everything.” Then he continued to say, “I’m just battling out there.”
The 5-time All-Star scored 22 points, the same as teammate Kyrie Irving, and grabbed 15 rebounds while distributing 5 assists in Game 3. From scoring 33.9 points per game in the regular season, Doncic’s number has dropped to 23.3 points per game against the Thunder in the second round of the playoff series.
The Oklahoma defense succeeded in slowing down Irving in the series, but they couldn’t get the exact grip on Doncic because of his toughness. His teammate P.J. Washington also lauded him for his strength.
PJ Washington Salutes Luka Doncic Toughness
P.J. Washington yet again grabbed the spotlight by scoring a team-high 27 points, after a 29-point contribution in Game 2. His scores in both games led to a victory for the Mavericks. However, following the game win, the forward praised Luka Doncic for not giving in despite facing physical and mental challenges from intimidating opponents.
In the post-game presser, when the 25-year-old was asked about Doncic’s toughness, he said, “He’s super tough. Luka’s a special player so I mean he’s going to get that each and every night. Guys try to get into his head, try to be physical with him, but obviously it doesn’t really do too much…He’s a superstar and he’s doing what a superstar does.”
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In the previous game, Doncic was spotted limping because of a knee injury, but he kept playing through it. The Mavericks have taken a 2-1 lead in the series and look like a severe threat to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. Even though Shai is performing at his best, averaging 31 points in the semis, the OKC couldn’t snatch the win. However, they will get an opportunity to cut the deficit on Monday when the two teams will meet for game 4.
