"We let the refs get to us" - P.J. Washington admits Mavericks gave into silly factors leading to Game 1 loss
The Dallas Mavericks suffered a 107-89 blowout loss during Thursday's Game 1 NBA Finals matchup against the Boston Celtics. Afterward, Mavericks forward P.J. Washington attributed Dallas' defeat to getting flustered by several avoidable distractions.
The Mavericks were thoroughly outplayed most of the night, falling behind by 17 points in the first quarter. The Celtics later extended their lead to as high as 29 points in the second quarter, doubling up Dallas' score (58-29).
Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic still performed at a high level, recording a game-high 30 points, 10 rebounds and four 3-pointers on 46.2% shooting. However, no other Dallas player tallied more than 14 points, with Washington finishing as his team's second-leading scorer.
Following the Mavericks' disappointing Game 1 showing, Washington touched on how they lost focus in a hostile road atmosphere.
"I feel like we let the crowd get to us. We let the refs get to us. We let not making shot get to us," Washington said.
Despite Washington referencing the officiating, Dallas and Boston each finished with 19 free-throw attempts. Meanwhile, the Celtics converted just one more free throw (13) than the Mavericks (12).
However, Boston finished with a considerable edge in the 3-point shooting department. It shot 16-for-42 (38.1%) from deep, while Dallas shot just 7-for-27 (25.9%), marking a 27-point disparity.
So, the Mavericks will likely need a much better shooting performance to even up the series on the road during Sunday's Game 2 showdown.
Jason Kidd praises Mavericks' first-time NBA Finals players, including P.J. Washington, despite Game 1 blowout
Despite Dallas getting thoroughly outplayed in Game 1, coach Jason Kidd focused on the positives during his postgame interview.
When asked how the Mavericks' first-time finals players performed, including P.J. Washington, Kidd expressed satisfaction. He added that he expects his young players to grow increasingly comfortable on the NBA's biggest stage.
"They did great," Kidd said. "They did great, and they'll get better as the series goes on."
In addition to playing in his first finals series, Washington is in the midst of his first playoff run. He spent the first four-and-a-half seasons of his career with the lowly Charlotte Hornets, failing to qualify for the postseason each year. Meanwhile, most of Dallas' other core players, including Doncic, made their finals debuts on Thursday.
Despite being a young team, the Mavericks haven't suffered back-to-back losses in this year's playoffs. Moreover, they also lost Game 1 of their first and second-round series against the LA Clippers and OKC Thunder before mounting comebacks.
So, Dallas will attempt to bounce back from a Game 1 loss for the third time on Sunday.
Also Read: "Keep God 1st" - Kyrie Irving urges fans to keep the faith after Game 1 blowout