Doncic, Mavs remain undaunted

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Dallas superstar Luka Doncic says the Mavericks must set aside the enormity of the task facing them in the National Basketball Association Finals and get back to having fun if they are to mount an unprecedented comeback against Boston.

The Slovenian fouled out with just over four minutes remaining in Game 3 on Wednesday and could only watch from the bench as the Celtics thwarted the Mavs’ late rally for a 106-99 victory and a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

Dallas head into Game 4 on Friday knowing no team has come back from 0-3 down to win an NBA playoff series.

If they are to become the first, Doncic said, they must forget their frustrations with the officiating, forget history and play the freewheeling game that saw them cut a 21-point deficit to one in the fourth quarter in Game 3.

“Go back to playing fun,” Doncic said of the message after Dallas studied the Game 3 film on Thursday.

“We talk about how we come back from (21) points in the fourth quarter in the Finals. We were having fun. We were defending. We were running. Our pace was great. Just taking good shots.”

Doncic fouled out for just the third time in his career and for the first time in the post-season, but he’s made a habit of appealing to and arguing with game officials throughout his NBA career.