Mavericks’ Luka Doncic with smoke coming out of his ears and looking serious. Place the NBA Finals’ 2024 logo in background.
BOSTON — The Boston Celtics earned a 106-88 Game 5 win over the Dallas Mavericks to clinch an NBA Finals victory on Monday night. After the game, Luka Doncic was asked how much he was hurting during the Finals, as Doncic dealt with injuries throughout the series. However, he refused to make any excuses.
“It doesn’t matter if I was hurt, how much was I hurt,” Doncic said. “I was out there. I tried to play, but I didn’t do enough.”
Doncic later admitted that he was “sad” after the defeat, but said he was “proud” of his teammates following an overall strong season.
“We did some great moves,” Doncic said. “I would say we’ve been together for five months. I’m proud of every guy that stepped on the floor… Obviously we didn’t win Finals, but we did have a h*ll of a season and I’m proud of every one of them.”
No one would have blamed Luka Doncic if he admitted how much pain he was in during the NBA Finals. The Mavs star did not want to make any sign of an excuse, though. He simply stated that he “didn’t do enough” and did not get into the extent of his injuries.
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts in the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics during game five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden.
The Mavericks have a bright future overall. Doncic will probably win an MVP within the next year or two. He is only 25 years old and has already accomplished no shortage of impressive feats in the NBA.
“He’s one of the best players in the world, and so I think the biggest thing for him is that we all would like to be healthy, but there’s going to be bumps and bruises along the way,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd of Doncic. “So, for him at the age of 25 to get to the Finals… Now it’s just being consistent, and I think we all would say he led the league in scoring.
“He also has won, so now it’s just a matter of being consistent and, again, always being in the talk for MVP because when you have one of the best players in the world, you should be always fighting for a championship.
Kidd believes Doncic can lead the Mavs to the championship in the upcoming seasons. Of course, finding a way to stay healthy and not constantly battle injuries for most of the postseason will help. Regardless, Doncic’s effort was stellar without question.
The Mavericks may have fell short against the Celtics, but this team has what it takes to win a championship sooner rather than later.