Jason Kidd's Honest Quote About Luka Doncic After Dallas Mavericks Lost Game 3

Jason Kidd met with the media after Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

May 13, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) walks off the court past head coach Jason Kidd during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday evening, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics by a score of 106-99 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Doncic fouled out of the game with just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter (and the Mavs were only down three at that point).

He also struggled on defense for a large portion of the game.

After the tough loss, head coach Jason Kidd was asked about Doncic's defense when he met with the media.

Reporter: "What more would you like to see from him on the defensive side of things? When he's the one that Boston is hunting in all these switches and they're putting him in off-ball actions and stuff like that."

Kidd: "He's definitely got a bullseye on his chest, so he's gotta be able to guard and understand that we're there to protect him and help him if he does get beat. He's carrying the load offensively. They are putting him in every pick and roll and iso. He's gotta be able to play the game where he can rest offense and let others carry the load."

Doncic finished the game with 27 points, six rebounds, six assists and one steal while shooting 11/27 from the field and 1/7 from the three-point range in 38 minutes of playing time.

Luka has been awful on defense 😳 pic.twitter.com/u65zSHf6GI

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 13, 2024

The Mavs trail the Celtics 0-3, so they will need to avoid a loss in Game 4 to avoid getting swept.

Game 4 will be on Friday evening in Dallas.