The Dallas Mavericks were big underdogs going into the series with the Los Angeles Clippers, but that means nothing to Luka Doncic. The Mavericks star player believes his team can hang with the Clippers.
The Mavericks came into the bubble as a very intriguing team. They have some really good traits and some really bad traits. Some that have led many to believe they’re not reaching their full potential.
They boast one of the best offenses in NBA history. But there is one small issue, their clutch offense is the worst in the NBA. That is characterized as a game within five points in the final five minutes of a game. It’s mind boggling that those two could actually go hand in hand.
It has led to many Mavericks losses late in games that they should’ve won. If the team was able to keep their offense flowing for 48 minutes they can beat anyone in the league. But their offense seems to only click for 43 minutes most night and their defense isn’t good enough to win games on it’s own.
“We’ve just got three left,” Doncic said, referring to how many more wins the seventh-seeded Mavs need to pull off an upset over the heavily favored Clippers in their first-round Western Conference series in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. “I think we can fight with them. Any series we go in, we’re going to believe we can win, for sure. If you don’t believe it, you’re not supposed to be here. You’ve got to believe it.
These are words you want to hear from your star player. He is not backing down from the challenge and he is relishing his first opportunity in the playoffs. In a 1-1 series it can go either way, but the Mavericks need to continue to stay locked in all 48 minutes.