Luka Dončić Utters Confident Quote After Mavericks Demolish Celtics in Game 4

Tom Dierberger | Jun 15, 2024

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic celebrates after a basket during Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Celtics. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

After a rough Game 3 performance that earned him quite a bit of criticism, Luka Doncic responded in a big way in Game 4, leading his Dallas Mavericks to a 122–84 blowout win over the Boston Celtics on Friday night.

Doncic, who scored a game-high 29 points on 12-of-26 shooting in 33 minutes, remains confident that his team can battle all the way back from its current 3–1 series deficit. They did avoid the sweep Friday night, after all.

"It doesn't change anything," Doncic said of the Mavs' first win of the series. "Like I said in the beginning of the series, it's the first to four [wins]. We're going to believe until the end. We've just got to keep going. I have big belief in this team that we can do it. So we just have to keep believing."

"It's first to 4, and we're going to believe till the end" pic.twitter.com/6yjQENJzMv

— NBA (@NBA) June 15, 2024

It's well known that no team in NBA history has ever come back to win a playoff series after facing a 3–0 deficit. But 13 teams have erased a 3–1 deficit to win a postseason series, including the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, who won three straight games to dethrone the 73-win Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

The Mavericks are one of 156 teams in NBA playoff history to face a 3–0 deficit. Only 15 of those 156 teams ended up winning two consecutive games to force a Game 6.

Bringing a championship back to Dallas is Doncic's ultimate goal, but forcing a Game 6 will be his mission Monday night when the Mavericks head back to Boston for Game 5.