After a tragic second-game losing streak, the Mavericks defeated the Suns 103-94 at home to avoid falling into a “0-3” absolute disadvantage, making the 37th birthday of the opposing leader Chris Paul less than perfect.
Luka Doncic showed strong aggression, scoring 26 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals, and nearly completed his fourth playoff big three.
It’s not easy for Luka to overcome the foul trouble in the second half. Facing CP3’s experienced diving and Mikail Bridges’ tenacious close defense, it must be even more headache. Fortunately, he survived, and shared a hard-won victory with Jalen Brunson, who scored 28 points in a single game.
Because of the lead in the third quarter and Reggie Bullock hitting a three-pointer from the corner at a critical moment, the Suns’ counterattack at the end of the game failed, and the Lone Ranger struggled to end the 11-game losing streak between the two sides.
According to statistics, in the best-of-seven NBA playoffs, only 31 teams in history can overcome the “0-2” series lag, with a reversal probability of 7.1%. The Lone Ranger can only be regarded as a temporary breather.
However, the good news is that including Doncic and Brunson, the team has a total of 6 players who scored in double figures. The substitute Maxi Kleber played 32 minutes and 54 seconds of the game, made 2 of 4 three-pointers, and contributed 14 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists. , 3 block offense, offensive and defensive performance is comprehensive.
Although the mood was slightly affected, it was a good phenomenon that Doncic received a lot of Austrian aid on the offensive side, so he didn’t have to fight alone.
“I knew I had to do better,” Doncic said. “Defensively this season, I think I have grown, so I have to give it back to the team and play better than the previous game.”
Going back to the practice period, Jason Kidd also took a little drug and pointed out the disadvantage of Doncic’s “calling” more directly. This will make teammates need to constantly rotate and help to “protect” him, so Kidd expects him to use more refreshments.
Further reading:Suns named Doncic 50 times today, scoring 1.72 points each time(Batch Kicking Industrial Workshop, 5/5)
“He’s gotta be defensive, it’s not a secret that can’t be told,” Kidd said slightly harshly.
“The Suns would target Luka every time they played the pick-and-roll. That’s what opponents used to do with Dirk Nowitzki, and it didn’t get better until he took it and stuck with it.”
“Of course you can call for help when you need help, but you have to be participate. Luka has to do that defensively, he’s proven he can do it, so Game3 he has to work harder.”
The so-called “Strict teachers produce high-level students, loving mothers and more defeated children”, Jason Kidd’s tone is indeed a bit serious, but whether it is from old teammates Dirk Nowitzki or Luka Doncic, he has seen a similar process – that is called “star” required weight.
For the Mavericks, for the Lone Ranger, he had to play a black face. Only in this way can the disciples and the team grow and move to a higher level.
Maybe this is tough love. And the young Luka responded quickly, living up to the expectations of head coach Jason Kidd.
Further reading:Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks make thrilling cut, Jason Kidd bets big on “three guards”
Despite a slight drop in shooting percentage, Doncic still showed his versatility, quickly scoring 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, helping the team achieve the largest lead in the series.
He was tougher on the defensive end and kept shouting to the home fans to motivate himself.Of course, his protest with the referee is also indispensable, even inThe gesture of “receiving money” when disagreeing with the blowing of the sentenceshowing his dedication to victory.
In addition, Luka also made an appointment for the highlight shot of the night. After falling down, he still did not give up the attack. He could also send assists for his teammates when he fell “sitting” on the ground, allowing Dorian Finney-Smith to cut in and score. That scene was reminiscent of Magic Johnson’s passing, and it was incredible.
Although it is said that “three days away from Shibei, I am impressed”, but we still can’t expect too much from Luka’s situation, and there will be a significant improvement in such a short period of time. We saw his intentions, but the referee’s whistle did not let him go.
With 5 minutes and 14 seconds left in the third quarter, Luka swallowed the fourth foul of the game and had to leave the game early. Less than 4 minutes into the last quarter, his personal five fouls were also released quickly, and his opponent Jae Crowder was really superior.