The Dallas Mavericks are facing the prospect of a sweep in the NBA Finals, and Luka Doncic appears to attribute part of their Game 3 loss to questionable officiating.
After falling 106-99 to the Boston Celtics at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, the Mavericks now trail 3-0 in the series.
Doncic, who fouled out with just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter, voiced his frustrations during the postgame press conference.
Doncic gestured to show the defensive posture he maintained when he was penalized with his sixth foul, expressing his disbelief. “I don’t want to say nothing, but six fouls in the NBA Finals?” Doncic questioned. “I’m like this? Come on, man. Be better than that.”
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The critical foul occurred when Doncic, already carrying five fouls, was called for a blocking foul against Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown during a fast break.
Dallas contested the decision, but the referees confirmed that Doncic had not set a legal guarding position, sustaining the foul call.
At the time of the foul, the Mavericks were only down by three points, 93-90, and were rallying to close the gap, making the call particularly significant.
Despite Doncic’s comments, his overall defensive performance in the Finals has been lackluster, often seeming a step slow, possibly due to playing through multiple injuries.
Additionally, the Mavericks have struggled offensively throughout the series, scoring under 100 points in each game. Although a few controversial calls have occurred, the Celtics’ dominance, including a 21-point lead at one point in Game 3, is likely a greater source of frustration for Doncic.
