Luka, Mavs avoid sweep: ‘Still believe we can win’

DALLAS — Mavericks famous person Luka Doncic would not essentially see any honor in avoiding being swept within the Western Convention finals. He stays targeted on beating the Golden State Warriors within the sequence, whatever the lengthy odds.

The Mavs are trying to turn into the primary crew in NBA historical past to beat a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff sequence, a feat 146 others have failed to perform. Dallas took a step in that course with a 119-109 win in Tuesday’s Recreation 4 on the American Airways Middle.

“I imply, I nonetheless consider we will win, you understand,” Doncic stated. “Swept or not swept, ultimately, if you happen to lose, you lose. Do not matter what number of we win. Now we have to go recreation by recreation. We will consider till the top.”

Dallas has already pulled off one shocker on this postseason, rallying from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to remove the No. 1 general seed Phoenix Suns within the convention semifinals. The Mavs wrapped up that sequence by routing the Suns by 33 factors, the most important blowout win by a street crew in a Recreation 7 since 1948.

Doncic, the 23-year-old guard who was named first-team All-NBA for the third straight season earlier than Thursday’s recreation, added to his record of spectacular performances in potential elimination video games with a 30-point, 14-rebound, nine-assist outing towards the Warriors.

In keeping with ESPN Stats & Data analysis, he joined Corridor of Famer Elgin Baylor as the one gamers in NBA historical past to attain not less than 30 factors in every of their first 5 potential elimination video games.

“I simply need to win the sport and that is it,” Doncic stated. “We acquired extra to do, you understand. That is nothing. We acquired three extra.”

The Mavs constructed a 29-point lead after three quarters largely by shredding the Warriors’ zone, which Dallas coach Jason Kidd referred to as “a praise … as a result of they can not guard us one-on-one.”

Dallas was 19-of-36 from 3-point vary by three quarters, at which level Golden State coach Steve Kerr pulled his starters.

“We weren’t alert tonight defensively,” stated Kerr, whose crew has failed in its first closeout try in all three sequence this postseason. “We weren’t sharp. And I assumed we allow them to form of get right into a groove, and as soon as a crew like that will get right into a 3-point groove, it is robust to get them out of it.”

However the recreation wasn’t with out some drama, and never simply from the leak within the roof that resulted in a 16-minute rain delay after halftime. The Warriors’ reserves sliced the Mavs’ result in single digits with 3:23 remaining, main Kerr to place starters Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins again on the court docket after a Dallas timeout.

Doncic dunked off a feed from Jalen Brunson on the subsequent possession, bumping the lead again to 10, and the Warriors by no means acquired any nearer.

“There is no panic,” Kidd stated. “We had a fairly large lead. They needed to decide. They introduced their group again in and could not get it achieved.”

Now, the sequence will return to San Francisco for Thursday’s Recreation 5.

“Everyone in that locker room looks like we’ve extra basketball to play,” stated Mavs ahead Dorian Finney-Smith, who had 23 factors on 9-of-13 taking pictures. “We simply needed to get the win by any means crucial.”