“We didn't do nothing yet” - Luka Doncic channels ‘Mamba Mentality’ with ‘jobs not finished’ comments after Game 3 win
The Dallas Mavericks, led by superstar Luka Doncic, protected their home court on Saturday against the top-seeded OKC Thunder in their Western Conference semifinals Game 3 matchup. The Mavericks stole Game 2 in a gutsy win against Oklahoma and prevailed 105-101 on Saturday to take the 2-1 series lead.
Dallas must win two of the next four games against Oklahoma City to advance to the Western Conference finals for the second time in three seasons. Luka Doncic spoke to the media during the post-game interview, highlighting their series ahead, channeling his inner Mamba Mentality by saying that the job isn't finished:
"If you're here, you gotta believe... We didn't do nothing yet, we won two games."
Luka Doncic finished the game with a solid double-double of 22 points and 15 rebounds with five assists, two steals and four turnovers on 7 of 17 shooting from the field at 41.2%, a slight dip from his usual shooting percentage. His play from beyond the arc was 1 for 4 at 25.0% and he made 7 of his 10 free throw attempts.
However, the most notable growth in Luka's playoff run this season has been the intangibles; his growth in his leadership, allowing young role players like P.J. Washington to have career nights on back-to-back performances, with 29 points (career-high in playoffs) in Game 2 and 27 on Saturday, in Game 3.
Luka Doncic battles through injury to lead Dallas Mavericks in Game 3
The Dallas Mavericks' playoff run rests heavily on Luka Doncic's shoulders. The superstar's evident physical struggles throughout the second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder raise questions about his health. Doncic himself acknowledged the issue, though specifics regarding the affected areas remain undisclosed.
“Everything, man... In the last play, when I split two defenders, obviously nobody touched me. Hurt my knee again. But just trying to battle out there, man. We gotta win. That’s all that matters.”
Luka Doncic acknowledged a late-game turnover in the fourth quarter, where he was caught between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren while attempting to drive through the Oklahoma City Thunder defense.
Despite the miscue with 12.0 seconds remaining, Dallas secured the victory thanks to a combined effort from Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who delivered eight of his 22 points in the final period.
Luka's scoring hasn't replicated his regular-season dominance, where he claimed the NBA scoring title. However, his contributions remain impactful despite evident physical limitations and Oklahoma City's aggressive defense.