Luka Doncic had his second-lowest scoring night of the 2024-25 season against the Spurs last night. But the Slovenian guard did not mind as he was focusing his efforts on the other end of the court. After all, it was his defensive lapse that cost the Mavericks their previous game in Utah.
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During the final seconds against the Jazz on Thursday night, Doncic pre-switched on a screen between Jordan Clarkson and John Collins. He was looking to contain Clarkson, but in over-committing to the screen, Luka allowed Collins an open path to the rim, which allowed the high-flying forward to dunk in the game-winner.
That last-second miscommunication against Utah led Dallas to their fourth-straight loss and it seemed to weigh heavy on Doncic’s mind as he prepared to take on San Antonio.
The five-time All-Star compensated last night by snagging his first two-steal first quarter of the season and reflected on how his mistake from the previous game drove his determination on the defensive end.
“It should be like this every game,” Doncic shared about his defense against the Spurs. “I think our third quarter was the best defensive quarter of this game. But just, that was on me, that last game, so just trying to make it right,” the 2019 Rookie of the Year added.
I asked Luka Doncic about if he emphasized starting strong defensively after what happened in Utah:
“Yeah obviously. I should be like this every game. I think our third quarter was our best defensive quarter this game. That was on me that last game, so just trying to make it… pic.twitter.com/UPhM3gTent
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) November 17, 2024
Shouldering the blame for his team’s previous loss, Doncic came into last night’s home game looking to compensate for his lapse. He converted only 1 of his 4 field goal attempts but nabbed two steals in the opening 12 minutes. He finished the game with 16 points.
Dereck Lively II was responsible for the Mavs’ dominant third quarter defense as he tallied four blocks in that period, making the Spurs think twice about attacking the paint.
Overall, this season has seen a more cohesive defense in Dallas as they rank sixth in the NBA in defensive rating. However, with Klay Thompson slotting in for Derrick Jones Jr., they have lost a step in their transition defense, where they rank 25th in the league for allowing nearly 16.8 fastbreak points per game.
Another area of concern for the Mavericks’ defense has been their presence on the glass. They are currently the 7th-worst team in the league when it comes to boxing out on their defensive rebounds. Those lapses cost them the game against the Phoenix Suns as Jusuf Nurkic grabbed a last second offensive rebound and subsequently got fouled, knocking down two free-throws to seal the 114-113 win against Dallas.
Doncic reflected on those woes after the loss to Utah as well. “We can’t get a rebound, so I think that’s mostly the main reason why we’re losing.”
Tonight, his team was able to out-rebound the Spurs 53-45 , which helped them secure a dominant 110-93 win at the American Airlines Center.
