Luka Doncic is battered, broken, but he and the Mavs are certainly not beaten. The Dallas Mavericks star proved in Game 6 against the LA Clippers to move on to the next stage of the NBA playoffs.
There’s nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal when it’s cornered. That’s what Luka Doncic showed on Friday night as he guided the Dallas Mavericks past the LA Clippers in the NBA playoffs.
The protagonist
My last column on Luka Doncic was focused on his usage and exhaustion. All of those points still stand. They were evident even in his performance in Game 6. Still, he showed the grit required to push the Dallas Mavericks past the LA Clippers and onto the next one.
While the long-term questions remain to be addressed, the importance of winning this series for the Mavs was enormous. Chuck Cooperstein summed up the situation well before tip. The Mavs hadn’t clinched a series at home since the NBA championship run of 2011. There was also the small matter of the struggles against the Clippers in recent post-season match-ups.
Doncic took all of this on board and he led the Mavs. Even with his first bucket, the limitations on his body and movement were clear. Still, he came out firing and kept at it. This was a star taking command of his narrative. That’s what winners do. He was going to keep punching until somebody stopped him. Even then, he was going to find ways to make himself matter.
The creator
This was not an efficient night from Luka Doncic. He was poor when it came to shooting overall, 9 of 26. He was downright dreadful from deep, just 1 of 10. The plaudits for scoring will, rightly, go to Kyrie Irving.
Still, anyone with functioning vision could see that Doncic had a big night for the Mavs. While the shots weren’t falling, Doncic was creating with whatever he could. The 13 assists, if anything, understate his work in riddling the LA Clippers D on Friday night.
With Doncic still more than keen to attack at will, he was able to routinely draw in heavy coverage. This in turn created space at will for those around him, with 5 of the 7 Mavs that played real minutes hitting double digits in scoring. In simple terms, Luka Doncic dared the Clippers to make a decision time and again, knowing that whatever choice they made would be the wrong one.
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The paradox
The heart in Luka Doncic’s play was never in doubt. The adjustments in movement however showed how his basketball IQ continues to grow. This was a player who realised that his body can’t move quite the way he wants it to right now. So, he adapted and still found a way to be effective.
The measured nature of Luka’s game is interesting considering the challenges he faces. The Mavs, somewhat understandably, have used him heavily. So too have Slovenia. Yet the raw fundamentals of how he plays are designed for longevity. It’s a form of movement and action that doesn’t lean heavily on his athleticism. Passes, even the really cool ones, are measured. Drives, even the physically painful ones, are about placement over power.
This is a competitor with a game designed to last. Yet we see the toll his lack of real rest is taking on him. He’s clearly playing injured but more wear and tear is inevitable when the Dallas Mavericks +/- with or without him on the court varies so wildly. The LA Clippers got more Luka than they could handle on Friday night. That was enough, for now, in these NBA playoffs.
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The next steps
Consider how the season ended last year for the Dallas Mavericks. The trade happened yet they spiralled out of postseason contention. The help that was brought in, namely Kyrie, was the type that required time to fit in. Still, it meant Mavs fans had to wonder about how they might progress as a unit.
Winning an NBA playoff series this season, any series, was vital. That it would come against a team with which the Mavs had struggled in recent postseason, in the former of the LA Clippers, was a bonus. Recognising that things aren’t stuck in the mud or going backwards is so important to this roster.
Whatever comes against the OKC Thunder, which looks a much tougher task right now than the Clippers, the Mavs know they have made progress. Whenever this season ends, the challenge is about managing the bodies they have. The most important one frankly belongs on a spa retreat until pre-season. He’s going to keep fighting to put off that vacation for as long as possible.
