Luka Doncic pinpoints reason behind his and Kyrie Irving’s struggles vs Thunder
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have been among the most lethal offensive players in the NBA. Meanwhile, the Thunder boasts a defensive system that impedes drives and penetrations at the expense of open three-pointers to players not well-known for their shooting, allowing them to erase Dallas' 14-point lead on the way to a 100-96 OKC win in Game 4.
In Game 4 of the Western Conference semi-final series between the Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic struggled from the field, scoring only 18 points in 42 minutes of playing time. Irving added just nine points on a 4-of-11 shooting clip, adding to Doncic's offensive struggles.
After the game, Doncic revealed the reason behind the star duo's trouble on the offensive end of this series:
“I think there is a focus on us,” he said. "They collpased in the paint very well. Every time we are driving, they collapse the paint (with) almost five guys. So I think it’s difficult for us to find the opportunities."
Doncic shot 6-of-20 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line, including a costly miss in the dying seconds of Dallas’ loss.
On the other hand, Irving got to his spots down the stretch but missed some crucial attempts that could have swung the result in favor of the Mavericks.
However, the two just resorted to being facilitators at most times of the game, as Luka Doncic dished out 10 assists while Irving had nine. Despite the defense, Doncic recorded a triple-double, which included 12 rebounds.
Luka Doncic's teammates tried to make up the difference
With Doncic and Kyrie Irving struggling, other shooters stepped up. PJ Washington once again proved to be a solid contributor to Doncic and the Mavericks’ offense after putting up 21 points, his third 20-point or more game in the series. He shot 7-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-11 from the three-point line.
Washington was also on duty to guard Thunder’s superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a playoff--high 34 points.
Meanwhile, Derrick Jones Jr. delivered offensive support with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field. Jones has been Dallas’ defensive specialist, but his offensive play was on full display. In Game 4, he shot five 3-pointers and made one of them.
Dallas will need efficient production from Irving and Doncic in the pivotal Game 5 in Oklahoma City.