The Oklahoma City Thunder doesn’t seem to have a day off this post-season! Their 37-8 record at home had fans confident in their ability to grab a Game 1 win against the Dallas Mavericks. But considering the form that Luka Doncic and Co. have been in, no one could’ve expected them to be blown out 95-117. Among many other factors, Doncic’s subpar shooting display hurt the Mavericks. However, he wants to forget tonight’s performance and move on to the next one.
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The Slovenian superstar has been playing through several injuries. During the first-round series against the LA Clippers, he did not just have congestion but also hurt his knee. Tonight, while the 6ft 7” guard didn’t seem to be unwell, he was visibly in pain due to the sprain in his right knee.
Luka dismissed tonight’s performance and wanted to divert all his attention to Game 2. He simply claimed that he needed to be better,
“Who cares, we lost. We just gotta move on to the next one. I gotta be better, we gotta be better.”
Luka after shooting 6/19 from the field:
"Who cares, we lost. We just gotta move on to the next one. I gotta be better, we gotta be better."pic.twitter.com/QFWUeWv7KL
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 8, 2024
Despite the pain, Doncic played for almost 41 minutes. Forcing himself to don the jersey didn’t help the team as the MVP finalist struggled from the floor. In the 22-point loss, he recorded his worst performance of the 2023-2024 campaign – 19 points and 5 turnovers on 6/19 FG, 1 of 8 from the 3-point line, and 6/10 FT, per NBA.com.
Luka has been able to redeem himself after a horrific shooting night. In this season, Doncic recorded 32% FG or worse on five occasions, per ESPN. The five-time All-Star bounced back in each subsequent game, averaging a staggering 34.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 8.6 assists on 50.3% FG.
Clearly, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Co. can expect him to come out with all guns blazing on Thursday. However, the defensive prowess displayed by Lu Dort, throughout the playoffs, will lead the Mavs fans to wonder whether or not Doncic would be able to stuff the stat sheet. Mark Daigneault will be confident enough in the OKC to protect their home court and go up 2-0 in the series because of his team’s sublime form.
