One comment after the Mavericks’ gut-check 104-92 victory over Oklahoma City on Wednesday provided certifiable proof that Luka Dončić was feeling better than he has for weeks.
He was campaigning for his spot on the NBA’s all-defense team next season.
Never mind the 31 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. He was thrilled with his blocked shot on OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 55 seconds to go and the Mavericks ahead 99-90. That snuffed any faint hope the Thunder might have still had.
“Next year, all-NBA defensive team,” Luka said with a subtle grin after the game.
That was a clear sign that Dončić was feeling better – emotionally if not physically as he has fought a sprained right knee, ankle aches and basically full-body pains since the midway point of the first-round series against the LA Clippers.
In this series, which the Mavericks now lead 3-2 and can finish on Saturday in Game 6 at American Airlines Center, the superstar guard had struggle more often than not. But on Wednesday, he looked like Luka Magic.
“I think you saw his intent,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He was aggressive. He was making shots, the deep three, being able to get to the basket, playmaking for the bigs. And he did a good job of taking care of the ball. His intent was to get to the basket and score and he did that at a high level.
“Luka was great tonight and we’re going to need him at home. But we also understand we have to get Kai a little more touches. He’s had great looks, but he’s being double teamed and being unselfish.”
Now that Luka appears to be back on track, that’s the next order of business – freeing up Kyrie Irving for more offensive opportunities.
So far in the series, he’s been perfectly content to focus on the defensive end of the floor and be a facilitator on offense as the Thunder have been pushing multiple defenders his direction whenever he’s touched the ball.
“It’s challenging physically, mentally, and I’ve accepted that and focused on the things I can control,” Irving said after Wednesday’s game, in which he had 12 points, but also hit both of his three-point shots, which might be a sign of things to come.
“I’m really laying my hat on the defensive end and trying to make the right plays offensively,” he said. “They’re putting three on the ball at times and I could obviously take a lot of tough shots and I think that’s coming in the near future when it’s needed.
“But for now, it’s just reading the game and allowing the basketball gods to shower me with a lot of love when you’re playing the right way.”
Irving also was impressed that, unlike Game 4, there were no late-game letdowns, no splintering whatsoever, which he said was one of the best parts of the victory.
“(It’s important) knowing the difference when we’re very much well-connected and also when we’re kind of splintered and the game is flowing in a different direction and we’re not being there for one another,” Irving said. “We showed each other (Wednesday) how to respond to tough losses.”
As Luka said: “It’s me and Kai. We’re the two leaders on the team. And no matter what, when they made the run, we stayed together. Especially in the fourth quarter, it’s very difficult to stay together but we supported each other.”
And because of it, Luka looked back to normal and the Mavericks are one win away from reaching the Western Conference finals for the second time in three years.
Here’s our other takeaways from Wednesday’s strong showing:
The kinder, gentler Luka: At least, in terms of dealing with the officiating crew. Dončić was the definition of decorum on Wednesday. As he said, it was intentional: “Just focus on basketball. I talked to them normal, without complaining, with a smile on my face.” As they say, you catch more flies with sugar than vinegar. And it didn’t really make a difference when it came to the whistles. Neither team paraded to the free-throw line very much. There were only 23 free throws shot in the game and Luka had only three, half as many as center Dereck Lively II, who had more than anybody else in the game (and made five of them).
Party Hardy: Second-year guard Jaden Hardy played his first significant minutes in this year’s playoffs and while his numbers won’t shot it, he gave a major impact to the team. “He was great,” said coach Jason Kidd. “He handled the situation – next man up – and he was great. We got to play him some more.” Hardy had only two points, three rebounds and two assists in 15 minutes, but he gave the Mavericks’ heavy lifters much-needed rest and wasn’t invisible on defense, either. And it may pay off with more opportunities ahead. “He did a great job,” Kidd said. “He had great looks both on offense and defense, so we have to stack another good day on Saturday with him and he’ll get some time out there.” Hardy’s teammates certainly noticed. “I’m so proud of that young guy,” Irving said. “He really gave us a lift off the bench and was really aggressive. It may not show up in the stat sheet. He shot five shots and was 1-for-5, but for us, energy-wise, having that trust in him and him being so young in a semifinal game, Game 5, that could go either way, shows the trust that J-Kidd has in him, as well.”
Spreading it around: The Mavericks had another stellar defensive outing. It’s impressive that the Thunder’s point total has dropped every game during this series since they scored 117 in Game 1. “We’ve just grown and we’ve allowed our trust in one another to flourish,” Irving said. “We have guys that enjoy defending. But they also get tired. So we’re going to need our depth to really come through and provide us with that spark off the bench.” Derrick Jones Jr. continues to be one of the ringleaders on defense, and he came through with a big offensive night on Wednesday, too, with 19 points while hitting seven of nine shots.
X: @ESefko
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