"I'm letting him down": Luka Doncic shows accountability to Kyrie Irving amid shooting struggles after Game 4 loss
Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic once again struggled with his shot during Sunday's 116-111 Game 4 first-round playoff loss to the shorthanded LA Clippers. Afterward, the 25-year-old took accountability for his shortcomings, pledging to provide his co-star Kyrie Irving with more help.
Doncic finished with his fourth career playoff triple-double, tallying 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. However, he shot just 10-for-24 (41.7%) and 1-for-9 from 3 (11.1%) as Dallas fell behind by as many as 31 points in the second quarter.
The Mavericks mounted a massive second-half comeback, spearheaded by Irving. The eight-time All-Star recorded a game-high 40 points, seven rebounds, five assists and six 3s on 56.0% shooting. He also converted a difficult layup through traffic to give Dallas a 105-104 lead with 2:15 remaining.
However, the Mavericks couldn't stave off Clippers stars Paul George and James Harden, who hit a series of timely baskets down the stretch. George nailed a step-back corner 3 to give LA a 107-105 lead with 1:55 on the clock. Harden subsequently connected on an and-one floater to extend the Clippers' lead to 110-105 with 1:20 to go.
George and Harden combined for 66 points in their superstar teammate Kawhi Leonard's absence. The two-time NBA champion missed his second game of the series due to right knee inflammation after suiting up the previous two.
To the surprise of many, Dallas has dropped both games with Leonard sidelined, with Game 4 marking its first home loss.
According to Doncic, he must step up offensively to avoid wasting Irving's sensational play.
“I just gotta help him more," Doncic said. "I feel like I’m letting him down, so I gotta be there, I gotta help him more. He’s giving everything he has. He’s been amazing for us the whole series.”
Per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, Leonard has no return timetable, putting him in danger of missing the rest of the first round. So, despite the series being tied 2-2 heading back to LA for Wednesday's Game 5, Luka Doncic and Co. should have a prime bounce-back opportunity.
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Kyrie Irving on Luka Doncic's Game 4 shooting struggles against Clippers
During his Game 4 postgame interview, Kyrie Irving also touched on Luka Doncic's shooting struggles.
After acknowledging that Doncic is playing through right knee soreness, he highlighted the five-time All-Star's desire to perform at a higher level. However, he noted that despite Doncic's poor shooting, he is still stuffing the stat sheet.
"I know he wants to play well, and I know he wants to make a bigger impact than he is doing now, even though he’s almost averaging a triple-double for the series," Irving said.
Through four playoff games, Luka Doncic is averaging a team-best 29.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game.
If he can improve his 38.6% shooting mark, he should return to his league-leading scoring level (33.9 ppg over 70 regular-season games).
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