DALLAS — There was little debate before the NBA Finals who the best player was in the series. Perennial MVP candidate Luka Doncic gave the underdog Mavericks a chance, the national pundits declared. However, the Celtics have gone after the point guard relentlessly on the defensive end of the floor starting in Game 1 of the Finals and that pressure came to a head on Wednesday night.
Doncic posted 27 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in the 106-99 loss to the Mavierkcs before he fouled out with just over four minutes remaining in the game. The early exit ended any realistic chance of the Mavericks’ completing a 21-point comeback as Doncic put him in position to be exposed yet again, picking up a blocking foul in transition as he attempted to defend Jaylen Brown.
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“Yeah, he’s definitely got a bull’s-eye on his chest,” Kidd said. “He’s got to be able to guard and understand that we’re there to protect him and help him if he does get beat.
“Again, he’s carrying a load offensively. They are putting him in every pick-and-roll and iso. He’s got to be able to play the game where he can rest on offense and let others carry the load.”
The Celtics were careful not to poke the bear while up 3-0 to ensure they would only praise rather than point out the massive flaw in the All-Star.
“Luka is a great player,” Jaylen Brown said. “I’m going to start by saying that. He does a lot for their team. Offensively has the ball in his hands a lot. It’s a tough lift for him. He’s been tough. Even with that fourth quarter, those stats, he’s still been able to pretty much get to whatever he wants. So we’ve just got to continue to be better, and that’s all I could really say.”
The fact that Doncic only has eight points in the fourth quarter through three games in this series has helped Boston come through in the clutch but Joe Mazzulla wouldn’t take the credit either for Doncic drop-off.
“I don’t think he gets worn down,” Mazzulla said. “He looks pretty fresh out there. I think we could do a better be job of being intentional in the offense with the spacing at times, but I don’t see him getting tired at all.”
The Celtics are playing it smart with their comments with the series still not officially over but the truth is plain to see. Doncic’s defense is a problem that the Mavericks haven’t been able to hide in this series and the Celtics are poised to win their 18th title thanks in part to that glaring problem.
