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[Saba Sports] Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic admitted he needs to better control his emotions after facing heavy criticism for fouling out of Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Speaking to the media on Thursday, Doncic acknowledged that his intense desire to win sometimes causes him to get carried away, a behavior he aims to address.
“Sometimes I don’t show it the right way, but at the end of the day I really want to win. I have to do a better job showing it a different way,” Doncic said.
He also mentioned that the Mavericks need to “go back to playing fun” as they did in the first three rounds of the playoffs, suggesting they’ve lost that in the Finals.
Doncic’s comments follow his foul-out in Game 3, where he blamed the officials after their 106-99 loss. This, along with his questionable defensive focus, such as arguing with an official instead of getting back in transition, has drawn criticism. One ESPN analyst was particularly harsh in his assessment of Doncic during this series.
While Doncic is one of the best players in the sport, he has a history of complaining about officiating, a habit he knows can cause problems for him and his team. However, he acknowledges that changing this behavior is easier said than done.