Mavs Step Back LIVE: Doncic Needs More From Porzingis in Game 4

The Mavericks lost Game 3 to the Clippers despite Luka Doncic's playoff career-high 44 points. Going forward, the Mavs need much more from Kristaps Porzingis

Dalton Trigg | May 29, 2021

Mavs Step Back LIVE: Doncic Needs More From Porzingis in Game 4 /

On this episode of Mavs Step Back LIVE, hosts Dalton Trigg and Matt Galatzan recap the Dallas Mavericks' 118-108 Game 3 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Luka Doncic was amazing, scoring a playoff career-high 44 points to go with nine rebounds and nine assists, but it wasn't enough to overcome the elite shooting nights from both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. After jumping out to a 30-11 lead in front of a packed AAC, Dallas wasn't able keep up when Doncic went to the bench, and the Clippers were able to get back in the game quickly.

READ MORE: Game 3 Loss - Clips 118, Mavs 108

Simply put, the Mavs desperately need more from Kristaps Porzingis going into Game 4 and beyond if they want to close out the Clippers and move on to the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Whether it's all on KP or not, the Mavs have to find a way to get more production from him going forward. Porzingis should play in Sunday's Game 4 like his hair is on fire, not just for the Mavs' chances of winning, but for his own image. We are rooting for him to figure it out.

"(My performance is) below what I can do, obviously," said Porzingis after Game 3. "(I'm) just frustrated at the moment and trying to keep my head in the right place."

Other than Porzingis' lack of production, what else went wrong for the Mavs in Game 3? What adjustments can Rick Carlisle make to counter the Clippers' small-ball lineups? Is Game 4 a must-win for Dallas? We discuss all that and much more right here:

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Published May 29, 2021

DALTON TRIGG

Dalton Trigg is the Editor-In-Chief for Dallas Basketball, as well as the Executive Editor overseeing Inside The Rockets, Inside The Spurs, All Knicks, and The Magic Insider. He is the founder and host for the Mavs Step Back Podcast, which is a proud part of the Blue Wire podcast network. Trigg graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2016. After spending a few years with multiple Dallas Mavericks-related blogs, including SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball, Trigg joined DallasBasketball.com as a staff writer in 2018 and never looked back. At the start of 2022, he was promoted to the EIC title he holds now. Through the years, Trigg has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Mavs GM Nico Harrison, now-retired legend Dirk Nowitzki and many other current/former players and team staffers. Many of those interviews and other articles by Trigg have been aggregated by other well-known sports media websites, such as Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and others. You can find Trigg on all major social media channels, but his most prevalent platform is on Twitter. Whether it’s posting links to his DBcom work, live-tweeting Mavs games or merely giving his opinions on things going on with Dallas and the rest of the NBA, the daily content never stops rolling. For any inquiries, please email Dalton@MavsStepBack.com.