Contrary to popular belief, the Boston Celtics are 3-0 in the NBA Finals, only one win away from taking home the Larry O’Brien trophy. While it has been a brilliant run from the Boston franchise, some external factors have also helped them along the way. In Game 3, the Mavericks’ hope, Luka Doncic, became that factor for Boston. On the recent episode of UNDISPUTED, Skip Bayless slammed the 25-year-old for his poor performance and lack of sportsmanship.
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It’s not every day that you hear someone say that Luka is the one holding back his team. However, his performance in Game 3 shows that Bayless is right in his assumption.
On paper, Luka had 27 points, six rebounds, six assists, and one steal. He shot 11 of 27 from the field and made only one three-pointer on seven attempts. Besides that, he was seen constantly bickering with the refs throughout the game.
With 4:12 remaining on the clock in the last quarter, Luka fouled out of the game, leaving his team in deep trouble. However, Bayless believes it’s the best thing that could have happened for the Mavs. He said,
“All of a sudden, Dallas got the biggest break they’ve got in the series. You know what it was? Freakin’ Luka fouled out. It was the best thing that could have happened to the Dallas Mavericks.”
Luka fouling out was the best thing that happened to the Mavs. They had the Celtics, but Boston was just better. https://t.co/8qFBsJGwYR
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 13, 2024
Bayless added that when it was time for him to focus on winning the game for his team and improve his defense, Luka was busy throwing tantrums in front of the refs. Despite it being a home game, Bayless said that everyone in the arena was relieved when Luka fouled out.
He said, “It was an all-time demonstration of dribble, dribble, dribble, ball hogging I’ve ever seen.” The analyst said that when Luka fouled out, he was happy because he thought someone who could play good defense could take his place.
The defense has been a long-standing problem for Luka in his career. The Slovenian has been criticized for lack of improvement at that end of the court for years. However, this season, the Mavs had a good momentum going in their favor but the Game 3 blowout has put the 25-year-old under the microscope again.
Luka Doncic’s first finals appearance has been subpar
After spending six years in the league, Luka finally had a chance to make a finals appearance. Coming out with a strong team and an offensive powerhouse in Kyrie Irving, alongside him, fans were expecting more from him. In the first three games, Luka has scored 30-10-1, 32-11-11, and 27-6-6.
Even though the first two games were on the road, based on his impressive away record, it was expected that he would show what Luka Magic is all about.
Unfortunately for the fans, we are yet to see Luka in his true element. On top of the three consecutive losses, his Game 3 performance has cast a shadow on his ability to win games for his franchise.
It was disappointing to see the Mavs star throw his hands on every possession, claiming for a foul that never really happened. Luka running to the refs to complain has also made him an internet laughingstock.
He is the most important member of his team and his failure to realize that, when the stakes are so high, has messed up their chances of winning their first NBA title in over a decade. Now with three down in the series, their chances of winning four straight games are thin.
