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USA Today via Reuters
Dec 20, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) warms up before the game against the LA Clippers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
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USA Today via Reuters
Dec 20, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) warms up before the game against the LA Clippers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Luka Doncic and the Mavs sent a message in Game 4 after a dominant win at home to avoid a Finals sweep. The massive 38-point victory was backed by the whole roster, and just another FYI it has never been done in the past 50 years in the Finals. To bring his team to the forefront, Doncic dropped 29 points. Kyrie Irving too helped the cause by throwing in 21 points. Along with them was Dereck Lively, who was a shining star for the Mavs with 11 points and 12 rebounds, and, of course, how can we forget Hardaway Jr.’s adventures? He, too, helped with five triples in the second half. It was overall a great effort from the entire roster to save the series and keep their championship hopes alive. Going into Game 5, they’re going to have an even tougher battle. But that’s something we are not talking about right now. There’s something else we’d like to talk about – Luka’s nonchalance.
Yesterday, we saw his team was overloaded with practice sessions. The Mavs are not taking any chances when it comes to all the games that are to come. But while they’re all working really hard in their practice session, figuring out the means to throw away Boston’s defensive and offensive strategies against the Mavs, Luka was just being Luka.
He was rather busy hooked on his tablet, watching Slovenia’s opening match at the European Championship in Stuttgart against Denmark. That’s one way to cope with the pressures of games, right? Some do it through meditation, others do it through proper workouts and practice. Luka does it by watching football.
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Luka Doncic spent a good portion of the Mavs open practice and media day watching the Slovenia-Denmark match. https://t.co/UZzjWutRN9
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) June 16, 2024
Slovenians are indeed proud of their football culture and Doncic couldn’t help but watch his nation play. The game ended up in a draw, 1-1, with Slovenia sitting in third place in Group C.
He’s mentioned in the past how he would love to watch Slovenia play live in a stadium, but his presence in the NBA right now with the Finals going on is keeping him a tad bit busy. But that does not mean he’s being reclusive to his team or the Championship. He’s putting in his best to grab that Larry O’Brien, to relax and watch more football once this is over.
He’s averaging 29.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists while shooting 47% from the field in the Finals. But despite his incredible efforts, the Mavs lost the first three games. Considering the same, what does the rest of the series look like for the Mavs?
Can Luka Doncic and company make a comeback?
We’ve seen their opponent make the same comeback last year in the Conference Finals, but couldn’t win it all the way. This clears up the possibility part of the comeback. In Game 4, the Mavs simply outperformed the Celtics in every possible aspect. Boston’s defense was exhausted early in the second quarter. It seemed as if they did not have a response to Dallas’ scoring every possession down the court. Luka’s smile at the end of the game said it all. On the flip side, the squad may just have figured the Celtics out.
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-06-15T032808Z_1294509418_MT1USATODAY23549848_RTRMADP_3_NBA-FINALS-BOSTON-CELTICS-AT-DALLAS-MAVERICKS.jpg?width=150&blur=15)
USA Today via Reuters
Jun 14, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts during the game against the Boston Celtics during game four of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Going into Game 5, there is going to be a lot more pressure on the Mavs. If they manage to win, the series will incline towards them, considering Game 6 to be played in Dallas. The chances for a Game 7 will significantly increase if the Mavs come up victorious on Monday. Irving has been quite inconsistent in the Finals when comparing his numbers to the rest of the postseason. If Uncle Drew can pretend to play against the Clippers on Monday, Dallas fans can take a backseat.
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It will be interesting to see whether the Mavs can take their spirit further in Game 5 and win another one. People are already coming in with their chants of “Mavs in 7”, so it is going to be a rollercoaster with many surprises for all of us.
So, what do you think? Just like they forced a Game 5, will Luka and Co also force a Game 7? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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And Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about WNBA stars, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.