The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-110 on Thursday night to level the series at one game each. Considering how unimpressive the Mavs appeared in Game 1, this victory was greatly needed, as Luka Doncic overcame his earlier troubles in the series.
Doncic shot 5-8 from three-point range and 11-21 from the field to end with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. He looked great in Game 2 and was moving better than he had in Game 1, despite the fact that his knee ailment still seemed to be troubling him.
Josh Green finished the game with 11 points, and P.J. Washington finished with 29 points for the Mavericks. Several other role players also made an impact. When the Mavericks needed him most, a different role player came through big time for them. Both players were making timely shots.
Tim Hardaway Jr. shot 2-4 from three-point range and 6-10 from the field to finish with 17 points. The Mavericks urgently needed a strong shooting performance from Hardaway Jr., who has been having trouble throughout the playoffs.
Tim Hardaway Sr. diverts attention with an outrageous Luka Doncic take.
Although all eyes were focused on Hardaway Jr. for his outstanding shooting performance in Game 2, some attention has now turned to his father Tim Hardaway Sr. for his remarks about Doncic made this morning on FS1’s “The Carton Show.”
“The ball moves better when Luka’s not playing,” stated Hardaway Sr. This was a reaction to the crew’s discussion of an earlier this week item by Howard Beck of The Ringer, which stated that a seasoned assistant coach stated that Doncic’s teammates feel “a sigh of relief” when he leaves the game.
Hardaway Sr. has a history of making disparaging remarks about the Mavs and Doncic, and all this does is divert Hardaway Jr.’s attention. The Mavs are concerned about the father of one of their players criticizing Doncic’s playstyle, which has helped them go this far in the playoffs, while they attempt to advance through the competition and reach their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011.
Hardaway Jr. had just finished a fantastic performance in Game 2, even closing it out, when his father made the decision the following morning to disparage Doncic. Talking down to the star player on your son’s team is an unusual strategy, to put it mildly, considering that both Doncic and Hardaway Jr. were crucial components of the victory.
After a strong performance, Hardaway Jr. really needs no distractions from the outside world, and that’s precisely what transpired following Game 2.
Throughout it all, Doncic’s teammates have only had positive things to say about him. Markieff Morris defended Doncic earlier this week on X, claiming that the article claiming the experienced coach had talked well of Doncic and his teammates was “cap” or a lie.
The men that suit up next to Doncic every night are the only ones who should have any opinion on his playing style, and they are constantly in awe of the kind of player he is. Doncic made a point of involving Washington in Game 2, and he made the most of his opportunities to do so.
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