The dynamic duo of the Dallas Mavericks did not live up to their title during Game 5 of the NBA finals.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both had below-par performances. Like many, analyst Stephen A. Smith was frustrated by the pair’s underwhelming performance.
Just a few weeks ago, Stephen A. Smith added Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to his All-time greatest backcourts list. Hence, it was not surprising that Smith was disappointed by their near absence in the crucial game. At the halftime broadcast of ESPN, Smith was enraged at the duo.
Luka’s holding on to the ball too damn much. he has disrupted their pace. Kyrie is just a no-show! Just an absolute no-show right now! . Stephen A. Smith on ESPN
Smith compared the Mavericks duo to the Celtics duo who were performing marginally better. The analyst also reminded the pair of their close comeback in Game 2 where the team did not give up until the last moment. Smith told the duo to ‘show some fight’ considering the championship was on the line.
However, Irving and Doncic could not do much in the second half as well. The pair looked like a completely different combo than the fourth game. The duo was shooting poorly as they only added 42 points despite being down by as many as 26 points in the fourth. The pair had no choice but to give up in the last quarter after getting dominated.
For Game 5, Smith had a problem with the ‘superstars’ not showing up in the elimination game of the finals. However, the analyst was upset at the stars for putting themselves in such a position in the first place. While the Mavericks lost the third consecutive game, Smith called out Doncic.
The Slovenian was heavily criticized for his defense and inappropriate behavior in the third loss. Smith also joined the conversation as he had a similar ‘superstar’ comment about Doncic’s game. During an episode of ESPN’s First Take, Smith blamed the star for not taking accountability.
Luka deserves most of the blame for this. It was a horrible performance. 27 points on 27 shots. But it wasn’t because of that, it was because of the level of selfishness and the lack of accountability. You are the superstar of the team, you’re supposed to be the leader of the team. Stephen A. Smith on First Take
“lt was because of the level of selfishness and the lack of accountability. … He’s pointing the finger at everybody but himself.” pic.twitter.com/BISK2BsyqY
Smith’s frustration is a result of high expectations for the team. Before the finals even started, Smith chose the Mavericks to win the series in six games. But to much disappointment, the team could not even win more than one game. The Celtics however, successfully closed out the series in five games.