Reflecting on the Mavericks' Journey to the NBA Finals
BOSTON -- As the Dallas Mavericks essentially waved the white flag by substituting all of their starters while trailing by 21 points with 2:37 remaining in Monday's Game 5, Kyrie Irving took a moment to congratulate his former teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, as well as other members of the Boston Celtics. This marked the end of a significant chapter for Irving and his Dallas team.
Following that gesture, Irving returned to the bench and exchanged a heartfelt embrace and a few words with his teammate Luka Doncic, who was wrapping up his first NBA Finals appearance. Despite the promising journey, the Mavericks fell to the Celtics with a final score of 106-88, allowing the Celtics to clinch their record-breaking 18th NBA championship.
A Season of Growth and Promise
Irving described the finale as a "bitter" ending to what he saw as a "really positive journey" for the Mavericks. Over the last year, the team underwent a significant transformation, reconstructing the supporting cast around their star tandem of Doncic and Irving. This overhaul turned a lottery finish into a Western Conference championship, creating significant anticipation within the organization that the Mavericks will be contenders for years to come.
Despite the loss, Doncic wasn't in a particularly reflective mood on Monday night. Instead, he expressed feelings of optimism about the franchise’s future, bolstered by his remarkable postseason performance. Doncic made history as the first player in NBA history to lead the league in points, rebounds, assists, and steals during a postseason, even while managing serious injuries. A right knee sprain in the first round and a thoracic contusion in the Finals opener required pregame pain-killing injections for the remainder of the series.
Given his physical condition, Doncic's status for playing with the Slovenian national team this summer is currently in question. Slovenia is set to open an Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece on July 2nd.
Kidd's Perspective
Mavericks' head coach Jason Kidd described Doncic’s Finals appearance as a "learning experience" and praised his performance despite the loss. "For him at the age of 25 to get to the Finals, to be playing basketball at the level that he's playing, now it's just about being consistent," Kidd reflected.
Doncic shared this sentiment, saying, "We said, 'we'll fight together next season, and we just going to believe.' We answered a lot of questions this year on what we were capable of doing, and now it's just about being consistent."
He added, "I think probably in the last week, I said that I wanted to be remembered as one of the best teams of this era, and our last few champions have been a new one each and every year. So, I see an opportunity for us to really build our future in a positive manner where this is almost like a regular thing for us, and we're competing for championships."
From a spiritual standpoint, Irving found a silver lining in this journey. "I think I enjoyed this journey more than any other season, just because of the redemption arc and being able to learn as much as I did about myself, my teammates, the organization, and the people that I'm around."
Injury Struggles and Future Uncertainties
Reflecting on his struggles with injuries during the series, Doncic said, "It doesn't matter if I was hurt, how much was I hurt. I was out there. I tried to play, but I didn't do enough." When asked about his future, Doncic was non-committal: "I don't want to talk about what's next, man. I have some decisions to make. I'm just trying to get a little bit healthier."
Despite the bittersweet ending, the Mavericks’ journey to the Finals has raised the bar for the team. "When you have one of the best players in the world, you should always be fighting for a championship," Kidd summarized.
Although the Mavericks ended their season on a sour note, they have established the groundwork for future success. With a revamped roster and a determined star in Luka Doncic, the Mavericks are poised to remain in the championship conversation for years to come. The loss in Game 5 represents merely one chapter in what promises to be an ongoing and compelling story for this franchise.