One Thing to Consider as the Dallas Mavericks host the Boston Celtics for Game 4 of the NBA Finals

The Dallas Mavericks play the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night. The game will be on ABC and should start sometime after 7:30. The Mavericks are starting at the 0-3 hole they’ve dug themselves and likely wonder how they’re going to find a way out. A team has never come back before in NBA Finals history from such a deficit. Are the Mavericks the team to do it? There’s only one thing to ponder in the hours leading up to Game 4:

There is no tomorrow

Like Bill Simmons, the movies of my childhood live in my brain. For me, the Rocky movies were pivotal in shaping how I think about sports and adversity. Rocky IV is probably my favorite, because it’s the most ridiculous one. But Rocky III is that has the most applicable lessons.

Rocky loses his edge in Rocky III. He becomes scared of losing all he’s earned and in becoming scared he creates a self-fulfilling prophecy when he’s beat by Clubber Lang, a vicious fighter.

Luka Doncic, during Game 3 at least, lost his edge. Perhaps that’s too harsh. He certainly lost his way, and in doing so was both the a primary reason why they were in Game 3 and a primary reason why they lost.

In the interview above, he says the right things. Luka Doncic almost always says the right things, verbally taking responsibility is one of the hallmarks of his personality. What comes next for Luka is the actual application of the lessons he’s insisted he’s learned in these sorts of interviews.

There is no tomorrow. There’s nothing after this game, not if they lose. If they lose, there’s time to think, to lament, to regret. As the Mavericks prepare for this game and as we prepare for this game, there’s no point looking ahead. Dallas must win. They must win. One win, that’s all that matters.

Take the punches. Then fight back. Win.