"Just please don't do that"- Dereck Lively II warned Luka Doncic against engaging with refs
Rookie Dereck Lively II continued to impress with his leadership as his advice to Luka Doncic seemingly worked in Friday's Game 4. Known for his consistent bickering with the officials, Doncic prevented engaging with the referees in the 122-84 series-extending win over the Boston Celtics.
Lively revealed the conversation he had with Doncic while discussing his impact in the game and how he was able to overcome his struggles on defense and with the refs, saying (via Mavericks reporter Noah Weber):
"He [Luka] trusts us. He trusts us, you know, that he's gonna play the best defense he can, with as much energy he got and if they get by him ... He knows we gonna back him up.
"He knows exactly what we're gonna do and how we have his back. Only thing I told him is just, 'Look, going out there, first two times you get fouled just don't say nothing to the refs, that's all I got. Just please don't do that.'"
Lively lauded Doncic's defense, saying it was key to everything falling in place for the Mavs in their blowout win.
"(When he's) locked in in defense, it just makes everything fall into place better on the offensive end," Lively said.
Luka Doncic's lack of defensive effort was widely considered one of the weak links in the Mavericks' 0-3 result to start the finals. He was getting blown by easily. Doncic wasn't good enough in team schemes either, often making ill-advised reaching attempts and losing his man. That put the Mavericks in rotation faster, making it easier for the Celtics to generate high-percentage looks.
Doncic's defense was also impacted by his arguments with the officials after every offensive possession. He was slow to get back on defense multiple times, giving Boston a five-on-four advantage on the other end. Nevertheless, he cleaned that up in Friday's contest to give the Mavericks another chance to save their season.
Luka Doncic concedes his reduced back-and-forth with refs helped Mavericks
Luka Doncic conceded his back-and-forth with the officials was proving costly for the Mavericks. After Friday's game, he thought it helped them and lock in on defense to get the desired result.
"Just helps out my team," Doncic said (via Mavericks reporter Grant Afseth). "We were locked in, especially on the defensive end. We played with pace. It helped them. I'm here to help them in every way I can. We just got to play like that."
Luka Doncic produced a clinical first half, dropping 25 points in the opening 24 minutes to give the Mavericks a 61-35 lead. He shot 10 of 18 while converting five of his seven free throws, a respectable effort, considering how poor he's been from the charity stripe.
Doncic also had three rebounds and four assists. That set the tone for Dallas' massive win, in which they led by 48 points at one point, the largest lead in an NBA Finals game in 50 years.