In the Mavericks’ 95-117 Game 1 defeat to the Thunder, Luka Doncic did not look like himself. He had trouble making shots all night. In response to his performances, he acknowledged responsibility for the defeat.

“Whoa, we lost. Whoa. All we have to do is go on to the next one. I have to improve, and we all must improve.”

Doncic shot 6-19 in the defeat, but he still managed to put up 19 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. In the playoffs, his field goal percentage dropped to 39.5%, which is by far the lowest in his career. Before this season, Luka had advanced to the postseason in every playoff series, but this year’s difficulties were inescapable.

Doncic is scoring more than five points less per game than he did during the regular season (33.9 points per game) with an average of 28.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 9.4 assists.

Doncic is the offensive motor of the Mavericks, and if he can not find his shooting once more, they have little chance in the postseason. Despite how fantastic Kyrie Irving has been, they will go as far as Luka leads them.

Luka Doncic Is Competing Despite An Injury

While it is commendable to continue playing despite an injury, poor play can not be excused. It could be preferable to relax if you are unable to create. Aside from a fantastic showing in Game 5 against the Clippers, he has struggled since suffering a knee injury in Game 3 of the first round.

In a previous interview, he talked about his injury and said he did not think it would heal without time off, something he would not accept as Dallas tries to make a run.

“Until I get some rest, I do not think things will get better. It is a big number of minutes. Perhaps in the summer.

With their stature and expertise, many observers thought the Mavericks had an advantage over the Thunder. That did not appear to be the case today, as midway through the fourth quarter, the Mavericks gave up after falling victim to a scorching shooting run.

Dallas’s foul issues in the first half, which saw the Thunder shoot 22 free throws, exceeding their season average of 21 free throws per game by the half, must be one of the factors contributing to their lackluster performance. The level of physicality that had previously been permitted in the playoffs seemed to vanish due to the officiating, which was different from previous experiences.

The Mavericks will be eliminated in the second round if Doncic’s knee is still too painful for him to raise the ball during his shot. Even if it goes above and beyond what was anticipated of them going into the season, the high expectations that developed following their late-season run will not be fulfilled.

If Slovenia is able to qualify, Luka is anticipated to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics, while Doncic intends to participate in the Qualification tournament that begins in July. He will have more than a month to get ready for that before another hectic summer if the Mavs season ends in the second round.

Since 2020, Doncic has participated in summer basketball matches internationally.