Luka Doncic’s Road Antics Lead to Michael Jordan Comparisons Ahead of Game 1 of NBA Finals

This has been a stellar postseason for Luka Doncic and the Mavericks so far. Additionally, Doncic’s domination in away games has been a major contributor to his and the Mavs’ success. And Skip Bayless is beyond impressed. On a recent episode of UNDISPUTED, Bayless compared the 25-year-old to his favorite player of all time, Michael Jordan.

The media veteran said that Luka is a “Road Warrior”, with a knack for silencing the crowd. More importantly, he credited Luka for his Jordan-esque approach to road games. He said, “He is Jordan-esque in the way he picks fights with the fans in the stands of away games.”

Even though Paul Pierce jumped in with a quick warning, “He better not be doing that in Boston, Skip,” Bayless stood with his observation.

The 72-year-old added that the Mavs would overpower the Celtics in the series, starting with Game 1. He also outlined that the five-time All-Star has won five straight games on the road. This, of course, comes with a great deal of help from Kyrie Irving, but Luka’s contributions cannot be knocked down.

According to StatMuse, the Slovenian has played nine road games in this postseason, averaging 31.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists. Bayless also believes that the Celtics aren’t a great match for the Mavericks because they have had an easy road into the Finals.

Luka and Co., on the other hand, have walked through several strong teams in the West for their spot. However, for him to undermine the Celtics seems unfair, as they have one of the most destructive offensive duos in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown with NBA Finals experience. In contrast, Pierce has put his faith in his former team.

Paul Pierce backs his Celtics in the Finals against the Mavericks

As one of their greatest icons, the Truth has always shown faith in his franchise. For this year’s NBA Finals, his pick is no different. On UNDISPUTED, Pierce said that the Celtics have enough in their arsenal to dismantle any challenge the Mavs throw at them. He said, “The pressure of the Finals won’t overwhelm the Celtics. They’ve been here before.”

The Celtics legend believes that the pressure would rather be on Luka because this will be his first Finals appearance. As someone, who has been in the most intense pressure situation, Pierce added that sometimes even the best fail to perform when the stakes are this high. He said,

“When you’re playing in your first Final as Luka Doncic is, and I know he’s played all over the world, he hasn’t played in Boston in the Finals.”

Pierce said that the overall atmosphere in Boston will overwhelm Luka and his team because the “production” will manage to get to them. In just a few hours from now, we’ll know if Luka really can control his nerves, or if he’ll end up crumbling in front of the home crowd.