Magic Johnson demands more from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's supporting cast - "Too much standing around"
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks lost Sunday's Game 2 NBA Finals matchup against the Boston Celtics 105-98, falling into a daunting 2-0 series deficit. According to LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson, the Mavericks must switch up their offensive game plan to reverse their fortunes.
Despite playing through multiple injuries (knee/ankle/chest), Doncic delivered another strong all-around performance. He recorded a game-high 32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and four 3-pointers on 12-for-21 (57.1%) shooting. The outing marked his 10th career playoff triple-double and seventh of this year's postseason.
However, the five-time All-Star ran out of steam late, getting limited to only three points on 1-for-6 (16.7%) shooting in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, his co-star Kyrie Irving had another off night, tallying only 16 points, two rebounds and six assists on 7-for-18 (38.9%) shooting.
Following the contest, Johnson took to X/Twitter, highlighting how Dallas' role players have become too overdependent on the superstar duo. So, the five-time NBA champion called on the Mavericks to implement a more team-oriented offensive game plan for the remainder of the series.
"The Mavs are doing too much standing around and watching Luka and Kyrie go one-on-one. If they want to win, they need more ball movement and to start pushing the pace to get more easy buckets!" Johnson said.
Dallas finished with 21 assists on 38 made field goals, while Boston recorded 29 on the same number of made shots. That marks a concerning trend for the Mavericks, who tallied only nine assists in contrast to the Celtics' 23 during Thursday's 107-89 Game 1 loss.
Thus, Boston has 22 more assists than Dallas (52-30) through two games, a disparity the Mavericks will likely look to lessen during Wednesday's Game 3 clash.
Also Read: Luka Doncic blames "missed free throws" not Kyrie Irving's struggles and late missed P.J. Washington call for Game 2 loss
Jason Kidd says Mavericks need someone to step up offensively outside of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving
During his Game 2 postgame press conference, Dallas coach Jason Kidd also touched on the Mavericks' need for better offensive distribution.
Kidd highlighted how Luka Doncic is getting worn out trying to carry the team. So, he called for someone other than Kyrie Irving to step up and help him.
"It's not all on him. We win as a team and we lose as a team," Kidd said. "... We've gotta find someone to score besides Luka and Kai."
Games 3 and 4 will be played in Dallas. So, the Mavericks will likely receive some stronger complementary performances, as role players typically perform better at home.
Regardless, Boston has seemingly been coasting despite its superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown not having a high-volume scoring series. It was spearheaded by veteran guard Jrue Holiday's team-best 26-point performance on Sunday. He was one of four Celtics players who scored 18-plus points.
If Boston's well-balanced offensive attack continues or Tatum or Brown take their production to another level, Dallas may not have the firepower to keep up.
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