Mavericks' Luka Doncic Admits He Must 'Go Away' from Referee Interactions

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic admits he has to be better with how he's handling interactions with referees during games.

Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics in game three of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks’ Game 3 rally fell short in Tuesday’s 106-99 loss to the Boston Celtics after Luka Doncic fouled out with 4:12 remaining. It was the first time in his career that he fouled out during regulation in his NBA career and the third instance overall when including overtime games.

Doncic was called for four fouls in the fourth quarter, including his last two within 30 seconds of gameplay, and criticized officiating during his postgame media availability. "I mean, I don't know. We couldn't play physical. I don't know," he said. "I don't want to say nothing. You know, six fouls in the NBA Finals, basically I'm like this (motions with palms out). C'mon, man. [Be] Better than that."

Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics in game three of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

With the Mavericks facing elimination entering Friday's Game 4, Doncic, who has averaged 29.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in the NBA Finals, acknowledged his frustration with officials has been a recurring issue during the NBA Finals. He vows to take a different approach as the team attempts to extend the series.

“Go back to playing fun,” Doncic said. “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 frequently complained to the referees throughout Game 3. On several occasions, as the Celtics cut the Mavericks’ early 13-point lead to one by the end of the first quarter, Doncic’s failure to get back on defense led to open shots for Boston.

Doncic has often admitted that his tendency to argue with referees can be problematic, whether he's competing for the Mavericks or the Slovenian national team. He's often remarked about needing to improve in handling this and did so again. "At the end of the day, refs are going to have the last word," he said. "So just got to go away from that."

When discussing his interactions with referees, Doncic noted it comes from his desire to win, but he needs to channel it in a better way. “I just really want to win,” he said. “Sometimes I don’t show it the right way, but at the end of the day, I really want to win. I’ve got to do a better job showing it a different way.”

Doncic tried to remain optimistic about Dallas’ chances of becoming the first team ever to overcome a 3-0 series deficit. He pointed to how the Mavericks turned their season around after struggling following the All-Star break. Dallas lost five of six games before winning 16 of 18 en route to claiming the Western Conference’s fifth seed.

“I know that’s the regular season, but it was the kind of point we all came together, and the chemistry from there went to the top,” Doncic said. “We’ve just got to believe. We talk about it in the locker room. I know we can do it, and we’re going to believe until the end.”

Doncic is probable to play Game 4 despite a thoracic contusion he suffered in the series opener. The contusion required pain-killing injections beginning with Game 2. In a sit-down interview, he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews that he intends to receive another pain-killing injection before Game 4.

Doncic feels a significant benefit of going through his first NBA Finals already, which could benefit him in the long term. "Oh, definitely, a lot of holes, I think, still. I'm 25. I've got a lot of things to learn. This is my first NBA Finals, so I'm going to learn from it, for sure," he said. "But we're not in the offseason yet. They've still got to win one more game. Like I said, we're going to believe until the end."

Stick with MavericksGameday for more coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the NBA Finals.

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