After the Mavs’ 3rd consecutive defeat to the Celtics in Game 3, there has been much discussion about Luka Doncic’s misdemeanor toward the referees and overall defensive play. Doncic, who is not alien to on-court altercations with the officiating crew, was hit with a lot of scrutiny. Amidst all the chaos, his teammate and friend, Kyrie Irving, had words of support to offer. A duo that has carried their team to the Finals has always inspired one another and grown together.

When Jared Greenberg asked Irving what his message to Luka was, his response was respectful but it also acknowledged his teammate’s shortcomings. He said, “I just talk to him pretty consistently about having his back, and understanding that we’re growing together. We’re not gonna ever play a perfect game but we do have to learn how to control our emotions in highly intense environments. When we’re on the finals stage, everything’s gonna be exasperated, everybody’s watching everything that you do.

“So the responsibilities are a little bit different as a leader.” Irving continued, “It’s unfortunate that we’ve had the losses that we’ve had but he’s been putting his best foot forward offensively… I know he’s taking the challenge on of trying to play team defense well. As much as he can be great for us, the next growth for us is to be able to control our emotions in high intense environments, which will take some time but I’m proud of him for how far he’s gotten thus far,” Kai told NBA TV.

Like a true leader, Kyrie identified both Doncic’s needs and the team’s needs.

At such a crucial moment, a change in Doncic’s behavior toward his peers is urgently needed. Otherwise, it will be curtains to their Championship hopes this season. But what exactly went down in Game 3 last night?

Luka Doncic was criticized for being “a hole on the court”

A 99-106 loss to the Celtics has already trashed the Mavs’ prospects of winning the Championship. Engaging in constant arguments with the referees, Luka Doncic, who exited the game early with 6 fouls, found it difficult to stay focused. This continual back-and-forth diverted his attention and caused defensive errors, which were detrimental in a game of such importance. Late in the game, Doncic’s frustration reached a peak after a collision with Jaylen Brown. He mouthed, “You better f**king challenge it,” to the bench.

Coach Jason Kidd tried to convince the officials otherwise, but they stuck with their call, and the Slovenian was benched with more than four minutes left. The Mavs scored just 9 points while he was out, sealing their defeat. Brian Windhorst, a sports writer, did not take it easy on Doncic. He said, “His defensive performance is unacceptable, he’s a hole on the court”. He deemed that Luka’s performance yesterday was unacceptable as the Celtics attacked him defensively.

Brian then made a bold statement saying, “He should’ve gotten 3-4 technical fouls last night. The veteran crew that did this game stayed out of giving him technicals. If this was a regular season game, he might’ve been ejected because of the way he was acting towards the officials.” The sports writer was quick to point out that the Mavs “begged” and “pleaded” with Luka to change his demeanor.

With Game 4 in their face, they will need to make a historical comeback from a 3-0 deficit, one that no team has ever been able to make in Finals history. However, if you pinch your memory bank a little bit, Kyrie Irving has done a similar thing before. Back in 2016, Kai alongside LeBron in Clevland colors left the NBA world jaw-dropped. They made an unexpected comeback in the Finals after trailing 3-1 and remain the only team to do so.

On the other hand, while a clean sweep seems the most likely result with Boston leading 3-0 on the present day, there have interestingly been only 9 clean sweeps across history. The most recent one was when Steph and Co. steamrolled over the Cavs in 2018 for 4 straight wins.

Can Kyrie etch his name in golden along with his Mavs teammates and will Doncic pay heed to his teammate’s words? Or will Joe Mazzulla and the Jays rejoice for the first time since 2008? There are many questions currently, and Dallas needs to step up.

While you’re here, check out what Shaq’s former agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese debate.