DALLAS — Luka Doncic blamed himself for the Dallas Mavericks having to board a flight to Minneapolis as a substitute of starting their break earlier than the NBA Finals.
“I believe that recreation is on me,” Doncic mentioned after the Mavs failed to complete the Western Convention semifinals with a sweep, struggling a 105-100 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Tuesday’s Recreation 4. “I simply did not give sufficient power.”
Doncic recorded his sixth triple-double of those playoffs with 28 factors, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Nonetheless, he had a poor capturing efficiency (7-of-21 from the ground) and matched Mavs ahead P.J. Washington for the worst plus-minus of the evening (minus-13).
Dallas co-star Kyrie Irving additionally had his worst offensive outing of the sequence, which Dallas leads 3-1, scoring 16 factors on 6-of-18 capturing with 4 turnovers. Irving additionally took accountability for the Mavs’ five-game profitable streak getting snapped, particularly citing his sloppiness within the first quarter for setting the mistaken tone.
“He isn’t alone on this,” Irving mentioned. “I anticipate him to say one thing like that, particularly understanding how a lot he cares and the way a lot he desires to win and the way a lot he desires to guide our group. So I anticipate nothing much less. I believe you heard me, too, simply say that it is on me. That is what you are supposed to listen to out of your leaders of your crew.”
The Timberwolves modified the first defensive assignments on Dallas’ star duo. Jaden McDaniels, who had the Doncic task for the primary three video games of the sequence, chased Irving in Recreation 4. Anthony Edwards defended Doncic after spending many of the first three video games on Irving.
It was the primary time this postseason that Doncic and Irving each shot worse than 35% from the ground.
“It is not on them, it is on us as a crew,” Mavs ahead Derrick Jones Jr. mentioned. “We’re a unit. We go on the market, and we play collectively, we win collectively, we lose collectively. It is not on one particular person. I do know that they are the leaders of the crew, that head of the snake, however we acquired their again via thick and thru skinny.”
Doncic, who was 5-of-15 from the ground when Edwards was his major defender, didn’t immediately reply a query in regards to the influence of the Minnesota famous person guarding him. Doncic as a substitute blamed himself for the loss, though he later known as Edwards (29 factors, 10 rebounds, 9 assists) an “wonderful participant.”
Irving credited McDaniels, a second-team All-Defensive choice, for stopping him from getting in a great rhythm.
“He has a big impact,” Irving mentioned. “I imply, he’s a 6-9 wing defender that I am seeing now for the primary time from the beginning of the sport. So it’ll be an adjustment, however I find it irresistible. I relish in these kind alternatives.”
The loss was the primary blemish on Irving’s profession report in potential closeout video games. He’s now 14-1 when his crew has the chance to remove an opponent, ending the longest particular person profitable streak in NBA historical past in such conditions.
“It is a new house,” Irving mentioned. “So now we simply acquired to cope with this one, cope with this loss and prepare for Minnesota and luxuriate in that crowd there, man, as a result of it’ll be hostile.”
