Skip Bayless lambasts Luka Doncic for his showing against Warriors, asks to take the blame on himself - "He needed Kyrie to close"
Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless showed no mercy towards Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic following the 127-125 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday (March 22). Doncic's poor late-game execution left the analyst fuming.
Doncic made his long-awaited return from a thigh injury and played 41 minutes. The Slovenian put up a tremendous double-double of 30 points and 17 assists, but his efforts weren't enough to lead Dallas to a win.
Although Doncic had a rather commendable performance, he drew the ire of Bayless, who tore into the Slovenian for his failure to close out the game against the Warriors. Bayless tweeted:
"Luka should complain about himself after that home loss to one of the worst road teams, GSt. Luka: 10-27 from the floor. 2-10 from 3. 6-10 FTs. 5 turnovers. Two late failures. He needed Kyrie to close. Kyrie was out injured."
Luka should complain about himself after that home loss to one of the worst road teams, GSt. Luka: 10-27 from the floor. 2-10 from 3. 6-10 FTs. 5 turnovers. Two late failures. He needed Kyrie to close. Kyrie was out injured.
Bayless' criticism was harsh, though. While calling out Doncic's constant antics while complaining about foul calls, Bayless also highlighted his shortcomings without fellow superstar Kyrie Irving.
Irving, who was in a walking boot after the game against Memphis, was expected to be available against the Dubs. However, with his re-aggravated foot injury probably being more serious than expected, he was sidelined. Dallas' season may take another turn for the worse if Irving sits out indefinitely.
Luka Doncic will need Kyrie Irving for support
The Dallas Mavericks achieved a lot of early-season success with Luka Doncic as the sole superstar. However, due to Doncic's inconsistent availability, the Mavs needed a backup, so the trade for Kyrie Irving made some sense.
Unfortunately, the Dallas star duo hasn't played much together. With the limited sample size, it's evident that the Mavs need Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to coexist. The potential for the pairing to dominate offensively is tremendous, which is Dallas' best bet to reach the playoffs.
Currently sitting at 36-37 for the season, the injury-plagued Mavs are on the cusp of tied for ninth in the play-in bracket.