Tomorrow is Luka Doncic’s 24th birthday and it seems like his coach Jason Kidd can’t wait for him to grow up.
The Mavericks gave up a 27-point lead and lost to the Lakers on Sunday, marking the biggest blown lead this season.
As the wheels were falling off for the Mavericks, Doncic was seen arguing with the referees more and more.
“I’m not the savior here,” Kidd said when reporters asked about his decision to call only one timeout during the Mavericks’ third quarter, which they lost by 11 points. “I’m not playing. I’m watching, just like you guys. As a team, we’ve got to mature, and we’ve got a lot of new bodies coming back, and we’ve got to grow up — if we want to win a championship. There’s no young team that’s ever won a championship, mentally or physically.”
Dallas’ starters that night were all over 30 years of age, except for Doncic, so you don’t have to use too much guesswork to figure out who Kidd might be referring to.
“It’s just our maturity,” Kidd continued. “Can’t get distracted with the whistle.”
In the past, when Kidd has called Doncic out for wasting too much time arguing with the referees, Doncic has been quick to agree and vow to improve but this time, his response was a little different.
“It’s probably true,” Doncic said when asked for his reaction to Kidd’s comments. “That’s it.”
The Mavericks are now 1-3 when Doncic and Kyrie Irving both play.