Luka Doncic Blames Himself For Mavericks' Game 2 Loss

Doncic has been the best Maverick by a big margin through the first two games. He put up 32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, and four steals in their Game 2 loss. None of his teammates are yet to have a 20-point game in the series. Doncic did struggle at the free throw line, shooting 4-8 while committing eight turnovers, which hurt the Mavericks.

What Doncic did badly did hurt the Mavericks. His turnovers hurt the team's momentum and his free-throw shooting was inexplicable. Nonetheless, the Celtics likely would have had a blowout on their hands if Doncic's production wasn't single-handedly keeping the Mavs alive.

The team is aiming to overturn an 0-2 deficit now, something that's happened in the NBA Finals very few times. The Mavericks have overturned a 0-2 series lead before, but the Celtics look like the far better team after the first two games of the series.

Luka Doncic Playing Through A Myriad Of Injuries

Luka Doncic was listed as questionable heading into Game 2, being downgraded from probable earlier in the day. There was real concern that Doncic would miss the game, picking up a back injury along with his ankle and knee injuries. Doncic was heavily wrapped up before the game, with fans in attendance concerned about the health of the star.

Doncic has commented on his current health, revealing the level of concern regarding his injury and why he decided to suit up.

“I actually was [questionable to play]. But I always want to play. All day we did a lot of things to get ready.”

The Slovenian sensation has averaged 31.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists through his first two career NBA Finals games. The Mavericks are down 0-2 and headed home for Game 3, which is a must-win for the franchise. Dallas saw their franchise overturn an 0-2 series lead against a 64-win team in 2022 when they beat the Phoenix Suns, but the Celtics look like a machine.

The Celtics have perfectly countered the Mavericks offense, forcing Luka to beat them one-on-one. Doncic's amazing individual skill as a player allowed him to notch the statline that he did, but it's led to the other Mavs struggling on offense. If the Mavericks can't address these offensive woes, they can't overturn the series deficit they have.

The only positive for the Mavs has been their defense, as they didn't allow the Celtics to blow them up this game. Unfortunately, they haven't hit 100 points in Games 1 or 2, so the Mavs should go into Game 3 fighting for their life.