Brian Windhorst obliterates Luka Doncic for excessive whining and poor defense - "Reason Mavericks are not going to win"
Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic expressed frustration with Wednesday's Game 3 NBA Finals officiating. However, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the five-time All-Star's constant complaining and poor defense is what's holding Dallas back from success.
After a 20-2 Mavericks scoring run to cut their deficit to 93-90 with 4:12 remaining, Doncic controversially picked up his sixth foul. Boston Celtics star wing Jaylen Brown made contact with him in transition, causing him to fall to the floor. Dallas unsuccessfully challenged the call, with many fans questioning the officials' decision.
The Mavericks went on to get outscored 13-9 after Doncic fouled out, losing 106-99. Their home defeat dropped them into a 3-0 series hole, which no team has overcome in NBA postseason history (0-156).
Amid complaints about the contest's officiating, Windhorst shifted the blame completely toward Doncic during his postgame SportsCenter appearance. The veteran ESPN analyst noted that Doncic put himself in an "unacceptable position with four minutes left and five fouls." He also called him out for blaming others after making a "terrible play."
Windhorst later took his criticism of Doncic a step further, going on an extensive tirade highlighting his defensive shortcomings and problematic relationship with officials.
"I'm standing here in the Mavericks' tunnel. Over there is the Celtics' tunnel. That's where the winners are," Windhorst said.
"If Luka's ever gonna be a winner coming out of this tunnel here, he is gonna have to use what has happened in this finals as a learning experience. His defensive performance is unacceptable. ... The Celtics are ahead in this series because they have attacked him defensively.
"... He is costing his team because of how he treats the officials. ... His performance in this game is unacceptable and the reason why the Mavericks are not going to win. He's gotta get over this."
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Luka Doncic blasts officials after fouling out in Game 3
As Brian Windhorst noted, Luka Doncic called out Wednesday's officiating in his postgame interview. Doncic highlighted how the referees were very loose with their whistles, especially for such a high-stakes game.
According to the five-time All-NBA first-team selectee, Dallas "couldn’t play physical." He added that the officials should be "better than that.”
Doncic finished with 27 points, six rebounds and six assists on 11-for-27 (40.7%) shooting. The game marked his lowest scoring through three finals appearances, as he entered Game 3 averaging 31.0 ppg on 51.1% shooting over Games 1 and 2.
So, Dallas will likely need Doncic to lock in and deliver a much more efficient performance to avoid getting swept during Friday's Game 4 home clash.
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