The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat 114-108 on Friday night at American Airlines Center, ending a three-game losing streak.
The Mavs' defense had been terrible leading up to last night's game, but this win over the Heat was a big step in the right direction after a disappointing loss to the Indiana Pacers just two days ago.
Mavs star Luka Doncic continued his dominance last night, posting 35 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, and 1 steal on 12-for-24 from the field and 7-for-13 from downtown.
Doncic got off to a slow start in this game, but picked up his game in the second half and led the Mavs to victory. He was hitting tough shots, getting to buckets, and ultimately controlling the game. Even though Doncic was playing at an elite level, most of the postgame chatter was more about criticizing his style of play than congratulating him on his team's tough victory.
Former Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons shared his thoughts on Doncic on Friday, and it wasn't necessarily what Dallas fans wanted to hear.
“He's fascinated by basketball,” Parsons said. “But as a teammate, it's a little tiring seeing the same (expletive) words over and over again.”
“I think [Luka Doncic] He has incredible talent and is literally the guard version of [Nikola] Jokic, he can do anything… But as a teammate, it's a little tiring to watch the same games over and over again. ”@ChandlerParsons About Luka Doncic. pic.twitter.com/tZBT7sPXke
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 8, 2024
Parsons' comments here were about how Doncic dominates the ball and how he doesn't involve others as much as he should. Parsons said afterward that he thought this was Doncic's best team yet, and suggested he should make more use of his teammates.
Criticism of Doncic's style of play has grown louder in recent games, especially following comments from Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller during last night's game. Barkley echoed Parsons, saying Doncic needs to get his teammates more involved than holding the ball longer for the Mavs to be successful.
Miller seemed to be negative towards Doncic throughout the broadcast and throughout the game, so Luka may officially be entering the villain era.
Stay tuned for the latest news on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks this season.
