Watch: Luka Doncic advises Rick Carlisle to take a timeout during Dallas Mavericks vs Pacers
Luka Doncic mocked former Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle during the team's road game against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday (February 28th). With seven minutes left in the third, Doncic was cooking Carlisle's Pacers and had just assisted a Reggie Bullock corner three.
The Mavs took a one-point lead as Bullock's 3-pointer marked an 11-3 run for the team. Doncic took the opportunity to advise his former coach to take a timeout. Here's a clip of the incident:
Kinda savage when a player looks at the opposing bench (head coach) and advises a timeout. https://t.co/hlGG97EYSq
Carlisle did call a timeout after the play. Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks couldn't hold onto their lead as the Pacers went on a 28-19 run after that, closing the quarter with a 106-98 lead. Doncic was in stellar form for Dallas, having scored 32 points and dished out five dimes by then.
Rick Carlisle admits Dallas Mavericks are difficult to stop with the Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving pairing
The Dallas Mavericks finally paired Luka Doncic with another All-Star by trading for Kyrie Irving before the deadline. They now have one of the most dynamic backcourts in the NBA. The Mavericks haven't had the results go their way, but Doncic and Irving aren't the problems.
They have played well alongside each other on most, if not all, occasions. Doncic has averaged 30.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game, while Irving has managed 26.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game since the latter's Mavs' debut.
Dallas boasts a 3-4 record since Kyrie's debut. They lost crucial pieces like Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith in the trade that helped them land Irving, so this is a transition period for the team as they make adjustments to be efficient on both ends of the court.
Nevertheless, teams around the league are aware of the threat the Mavericks will possess once they configure their system with their new-look roster. Rick Carlisle admitted rival teams wouldn't want to play against Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving pairing. Here's what the Pacers coach said before the game against the Mavericks (via Grant Afseth):
"They're great. Nobody's going to want to play these guys. Nobody. Dallas has a way of getting things worked out toward the second half of the season. They did it last year and went on the big run. I expect them to do the same now..."
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle says "nobody" is going to want to play the Mavericks with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, and has lot of confidence in a strong finish:
"They're great. Nobody's going to want to play these guys. Nobody. Dallas has a way of getting things worked out… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/wBAEh0k9id
The Mavericks have significantly struggled on defense. Dallas is missing Maxi Kleber, an integral player on that end of the floor. Carlisle coached the team led by Doncic for three seasons. He couldn't have been far from his analysis of the Mavericks, who could be a streaky team early but can turn things around down the stretch.