(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Earlier in the series vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder, the fans wanted to see more from Luka Doncic.
They didn’t want to see him limping, making excuses, or going at the referees on every possession; they wanted to see him deliver.
And deliver, he has.
The Dallas Mavericks are one win away from making the Western Conference Finals for the second time in Doncic’s playoff career, and a lot of that has had to do with his play.
That’s why, as much as he wants to give Shai Gilgeous-Alexander his flowers, Stephen A. Smith still thinks Doncic and the Mavs will win Game 6.
.@stephenasmith is rolling with Luka in Game 6 over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
“Look at the effect Luka’s greatness has on the rest of the Dallas Mavericks.” pic.twitter.com/1OOrGDiDGh
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 16, 2024
Talking on ESPN’s “First Take,” Smith called out the rest of the Thunder players for not stepping up and giving Shai a helping hand.
He lauded him for scoring the basketball and keeping his team afloat.
Nonetheless, he thinks Doncic has also elevated everybody around him, which is what makes him a superstar.
The Mavericks deserve plenty of credit for the way they’ve excelled on the defensive end of the floor as well, as they’ve kept the best three-point shooting team in the league struggling from beyond the arc.
But Doncic is showing that he’s a special and unique kind of talent.
The Thunder are a young team, and that kind of inexperience can come back to haunt you when it matters the most.
They should still have a chance to even this series up and force Game 7, but it’s almost impossible to beat the Mavs when Doncic is at his best.
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