“Is Luka Doncic Pouting?”: Skip Bayless Compares 4th-Q Shot Attempts by Mavs Duo Where Kyrie Irving Exceeds Almost 4-times

Akash Murty | 04/03/2023
“Kyrie Irving — The Grim Reaper”: Fans Can’t Keep Calm as Luka Doncic an Co. Lose to Lowly Hornets’ 2nd Unit

Since Kyrie Irving’s arrival, things have changed for both Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. It might be slightly different from the expectations for some, but others had the belief that both ball-dominant players would find it tough to work together.

However, nobody would have thought that they would be 2-5 to start their journey so close to the post-season. Given the form both were in before Irving’s transfer request if they were 7-0 now, it would have been less surprising.

Their latest 133-126 win against the contenders from the East, the Philadelphia 76ers, was a sigh of relief for the Dallas fans and Mavericks management. But Skip Bayless found something after it which might actually be worrisome.

Also read: Luka Doncic And Kyrie Irving Set 3-Pointer Record While Notching Up Twin 40-Point Games In Mavericks Win

Skip Bayless suggests Luka Doncic is upset with Kyrie Irving’s arrival

Through a recent Tweet, veteran Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless brought forward how Irving is attempting almost 4-times the shots Doncic is attempting in the fourth quarter and over time.

Is there something going on behind the closed doors in Dallas that is making the top-scorer of the league just under 3-shots a game in the final quarter of the game? Let’s fact-check.

Also read: “Luka Doncic & Kyrie Irving are Great 1-on-1 Players”: Charles Barkley Lays Out the Problem For Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic’s 4th quarter numbers before and since Kyrie Irving’s arrival

As surprising as it might be, Doncic averages 5.2 points per game on just 3.7 attempts in the final quarter of the game. In Mavs’ last 5 games, that has gone down to 2.6 which is not as much given the fact that they have got themselves this season’s King of 4th quarter.

With 9.6 points on 6.7 attempts per game, and 443 points in 46 games played, Irving is the league’s top scorer in the fourth quarter. To put it all more into perspective, Doncic isn’t even in the top-25.

So, Skip’s analysis is half-baked and Luka isn’t pouting. The man might be following in the footsteps of his childhood idol, LeBron James, in making plays to win the game in the final minutes rather than being a one-man show. He prefers doing that in the first three quarters.

Also read: “Met Luka Doncic As A 12 Y/o in Croatia”: Anamaria Goltes Reveals Just How Long She’s Been Dating The Mavs Star

 

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
kyrie irving Luka Doncic Skip Bayless

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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