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Luka Doncic expressed his disappointment after the Dallas Mavericks' loss to the Atlanta Hawks. However, the Slovenian is confident the team would show up strong for the remaining 81 games of the season. He scored 18 points on the night and also secured 11 rebounds and seven assists. The youngster did not have the best of nights shooting, though, as he went 6-17 from the field.
After going unbeaten in the preseason, the Mavs looked extremely confident entering the 82-game season. However, a team performance from the Hawks led to a 113-87 loss for the Dallas Mavericks in their season opener. Speaking about the Mavericks' performance in their season opener, Luka Doncic said:
"I think we played terrible. You know it was our first game... we got a new coach, a lot of new coaching staff, junior players. We'll be fine, you know, but today was terrible; we couldn't make nothing. You know, we got 81 to go, so nothing to worry about."
The Atlanta Hawks came out all guns blazing in the third quarter. They went off for 35 points in the third alone, while the Mavericks only managed 20, which proved key in their loss. When asked about what happened to the team in the third quarter, Doncic said:
"I mean, they were just, you know, making shots, and we weren't making shots, you know. They played great defense. We weren't at their level on defense, so that's it."
Can the Dallas Mavericks make a deep run in the playoffs this year?
The Dallas Mavericks have a wonderful roster for the 2021-22 NBA season. During the offseason, the Mavericks made a coaching change, recruiting former player Jason Kidd as their head coach. Spearheaded by superstar Luka Doncic, the Mavs look like a strong team, and will be one of the teams to watch out for in the West.
Another player the Mavs will have their hopes on this season is Kristaps Porzingis. The 7' 3" Latvian has not been at his best since arriving at the team in 2019. This season, though, the coaches and players in the franchise believe Porzingis is ready to fire.
Speaking in an interview with Sirius XM Radio about Porzingis, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban said:
" I think now, we had a little bit more time, not a lot, but a little bit more time, and we are able to have more confidence. For KP, it's just confidence in his body. You can see he's having fun, and you know KP is just coming up over to me and talking about crypto and how it's working and smiling and laughing. Just high-fiving everybody, you just feel the energy, the leadership and the excitement coming from him."
Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis will certainly be an important part of the Mavs' team as they strive to reach the playoffs. The team also added Reggie Bullock in the offseason to bring in more strength in defense.
During the playoffs last year, Donic looked like the only player to do something in offense. However, if the Mavs want to achieve postseason success this season, they will need the team to play collectively and all players to contribute throughout the season.
Also Read: Who is Luka Doncic's girlfriend, Anamaria Goltes?
