Luka Doncic looked at the referee in utter astonishment after being called for his sixth foul, and then went to the Mavericks bench to demand that the ruling be appealed.
Doncic was sent to the bench for the last four minutes and twelve seconds of Game 3 of the NBA Finals after the challenge was determined to have been unsuccessful after a video review.
With 21 points to go in the first quarter of the fourth quarter, Dallas had closed the gap to three points when Doncic was ruled not guilty. He watched helplessly as the Mavericks’ comeback fell short after Dallas was on the verge of losing to the Boston Celtics 106-99 on Wednesday at American Airlines Center.
Doncic, who fouled out for the first time in 48 postseason games, had four fouls in the fourth quarter. “We couldn’t play physical,” Doncic remarked when questioned about the officiating. “I do not know. I don’t want to say anything.
“You know, six fouls in the NBA Finals; basically, I’m like this,” Doncic said, raising his hands. “C’mon, dude. “Be better than that.” Doncic’s unhappiness was not just due to the officials.
He got off to a good start, nailing five of his first seven shots from the field as the Mavericks opened up a 13-point lead in the opening quarter, but he struggled offensively for the rest of the game. Doncic ended with 27 points on 11-for-27 shooting.
The Celtics also persistently pursued Doncic on defense, as the Mavericks star is struggling with a thoracic contusion sustained in Game 1 and has been playing on a damaged right knee for most of the season. According to reports, Boston scored 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting, while Doncic served as the main defender. The Celtics also created many nice shots by penetrating against Doncic and forcing the Dallas defense to rotate.
“He’s definitely got a bull’s-eye on his chest,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “He has to be able to defend himself and realize that we are there to protect and assist him if he is attacked. Again, he carries an offensive burden. They placed him in every pick-and-roll and ISO. He has to be able to play the game in a way that allows him to relax on offense and let others take the burden.
Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, who struggled in the series’ first two games in Boston, rebounded with 35 points on 13-of-28 shooting. The remainder of the Mavericks combined for 37 points as Kidd expanded his rotation to 11 players in a frantic quest for contributions.
Dallas was on a 20-2 run when Doncic was tagged for his sixth foul while trying to charge Boston’s Jaylen Brown on the left wing. It came 26 seconds after Doncic’s fifth foul, which was called after he clashed with Brown while guarding a post-up.
Doncic animatedly conveyed his displeasure to the umpires after both decisions, as he did multiple times during the game. “You just got to let it breathe a little bit,” Irving said when asked what his postgame advice would be to his co-star. “Let your human feelings out. Simply hug him. That is it, dude. It’s simple to point the finger at him and say, ‘You should do better.’ That is simple to say.
I believe he understands this. But, certainly, it’s a reminder that I have his back, and we all have his back.” Dallas is suddenly facing tremendous odds. Teams have gone 0-156 in NBA playoff series after going down 3-0. “It’s not over until it’s over,” Doncic said. “We just have to believe.”
