You may have noticed that Luka Dončić has an occasional affliction of refitis.
Don’t look it up. It’s not in the dictionary. But it’s a real thing for a lot of NBA players.
Sometimes, it’s more than occasional for Luka.
The Mavericks’ superstar has a passion for twirling his index finger in the air, begging for coach Jason Kidd to challenge a call that goes against his team and, in particular, Dončić.
That’s not to say it’s on every call. Luka is quick to raise his hand when he commits an obvious foul.
But the animated way that he disagrees with calls is an entertaining part of the Mavericks’ games.
On Monday in the 121-114 win over Oklahoma City, there were several instances when he aggressively asked Kidd to challenge a call.
Each coach only gets one per game, of course.
“There’s a lot of challenges I want,” Luka said. “They should change the rule. If you get your first one right, you should have another one.”
Kidd, of course, knows that challenges are meant for critical situations. A random questionable call about out-of-bounds possession on a rebound in the first quarter is not the sort of play that deserves reviewing.
Sometimes, just live with an officiating mistake.
Sometimes, they are in your favor.
“It’s hard to use it in the first (quarter),” Kidd said. “The ball went out of bounds on them. It’s easy to use a challenge there, but it’s a waste of a challenge. Clearly, it’s our ball. They missed it. But if you use it in the first three minutes of the game, you won’t have one late.”
Not that Kidd doesn’t listen to his superstar. He understands the frustration. But . . .
“We only have one of them,” he said. “He might think I have some since I haven’t used a lot of them this season, they might carry over.
“But there’s some that should be automatic.”
Like the goaltending call that Kidd eventually used his challenge on against the Thunder when it was clearly not a goaltend in the fourth quarter.
“Hopefully, as we (grow) with technology, goaltending and stuff like that will not have to be challenged,” Kidd said.
As for Luka, he tries to get his coach’s attention on every iffy call. Sometimes, Kidd will quickly look to the big screen above the court to avoid eye contact.
“He’s trying to look,” Dončić said. “Am I right, or no?”
And sometimes, even if he is right, there’s nothing that can be done.
Here are our other takeaways from the Mavericks’ win.
KEEP THE FAITH: The Mavericks were 3-of-15 from three-point range in the first quarter. They were outscored 28-11 at the end of that period after going up 12-0. Then, in the final three quarters, they shot 19-of-39 from three-point range. “A lot of those shots were wide-open,” Tim Hardaway Jr. said. “It’s not like we’re airballing them or missing terribly bad. A lot of shots are in and out. Trust your work and shoot them with confidence.” As Kidd said after the game, this team is built to shoot a lot of three-pointers, although 54 of them, compared to 39 from inside the arc, might be pushing the limits. Still, if the Mavericks shoot 40.7 percent from three-point land, they are going to be hard for any opponent to beat.
A LITTLE HELP: With Josh Green out with an elbow issue, the Mavericks needed some help from others off the bench. Maxi Kleber stepped up with eight points and seven rebounds. Reggie Bullock had 12 points and five rebounds. And Frank Ntilikina had six points. They helped the Mavericks’ bench outscore the Thunder reserves 34-29. And it’s worth noting that Bullock and Ntilikina are two Mavericks that often catch the brunt of outrage when things don’t go well or the Mavericks have tough shooting nights. Having them contribute was a major part of this win.
STRONG NUMBERS: The Mavericks made 84 percent of their free throws (21-of-25). That’s a great sign. Considering that in their last home game they were 10-of-24, it’s an incredible sign. Nobody missed more than one free throw, including Luka, who was 9-for-10. The Mavericks still are next-to-last in the NBA in free-throw percentage this season at 72.7 percent . . . Similarly, they are dead last in the league in number of rebounds per game, but they were excellent on the boards against the Thunder, outrebounding the visitors 50-42.
Twitter: @ESefko
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